A Life More Ordinary
by Josiecat
Summary: Frank's story...or at least this portion of it...concludes. *Final* chapter uploaded.
1. A New Life

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the characters that originally appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  More's the pity.

Frank N. Furter sat in his office at the College of Denton, idly looking out the window.  He was ready for the start of the new school year, with its new crop of students and new courses to teach.   This particular semester, one class he was teaching was freshman chemistry.  Normally, such courses were left to the teaching assistants.  However, the dean had noticed Frank's rapport with his students, and assigned the class to him in hopes he could encourage more students to pursue the sciences during their college careers.  Frank didn't object; while the elementary level of the subject matter would be less than interesting for him, he imagined the challenge of trying to reach a group of students who were, for the most part, there solely to fulfill a science requirement – as opposed to the dedicated upperclassmen and graduate students he normally taught – would bring a fascination of its own.

He was surprised to find he genuinely enjoyed teaching.  He was even more surprised to find himself actually adapting to being a permanent resident of Earth, with no ties to his home planet or any hopes of ever returning there.  He knew the Earth mission had been scheduled to end shortly after the uprising at the castle, with Transylvanian operatives all over the world going home to report their findings to the Queen and her court advisors.  He supposed the news of his "death" had caused a furor, especially with his mother – the Queen herself.  However, he was sure Riff Raff and Magenta had come up with a convincing story to explain his demise, although undoubtedly their discovery of the disappearance of his body had caused them considerable unease.  At least he dearly hoped so.

The memory of that night, two years ago now, still stung.  Frank had completely fallen apart when Riff Raff faced him with that laser, and his terror only grew after the man killed poor, sweet Columbia.  In his frenzied state, he attempted to escape by climbing the curtain, but quickly saw that plan was doomed to failure.  Before he could fully digest that unhappy thought, a jolt of anti-matter hit him squarely in the back, with the brutal force of a rifle shot at close range.  The pain, unimaginable in its intensity, caused him to scream, then – mercifully – black out.  When he regained consciousness, moments later, he was lying on the floor, with Rocky cradling his body and bellowing in grief.  As he felt Rocky pick him up, he could only wonder why he wasn't dead.  Then it came to him…a childhood memory so traumatic he'd completely buried it, until this crisis dragged it out of his subconscious mind.

He was five years old.  Much to his excitement, he was getting to visit the boot camp where Transylvania's most elite fighting force trained.  He was turned over to the camp commander, a huge, imposing man named Derringer.  Derringer also served as the chief of security for the royal family, and it was in this capacity that he took charge of young Frank.  His first act was to tie the small boy to a pole in the camp's exercise yard.  Frank laughed, thinking this was the beginning of a fun new game.  He soon learned differently, as Derringer took a small laser in hand and, without warning, shot the helpless boy with it.  The pain was excruciating.  Frank, screaming and crying, begged to be untied.  However, not only was he _not _set free, he was actually shot again…three more times, with an interval of about 15 minutes between shots.  Only then was he released, exhausted from pain and fear, and returned to his personal bodyguard to be brought back to the palace.  Nobody ever spoke of the events of that day; it was as if the whole ghastly episode had never happened.  Now, years later, he finally realized what the true purpose of that horrifying afternoon had been.  The royal family, due to its position and power, was the not-infrequent target of assassination threats.  The shots of anti-matter, administered in controlled doses when his body was still early in its development, served as a kind of vaccine, protecting him against the killing effects of any later laser attacks he might suffer.  

Frank's thoughts were rudely dragged back to the equally horrifying present, as Rocky began climbing that damn RKO tower, carrying him on his back.  Riff Raff, in a rage, continued firing.  Frank could feel the anti-matter whizzing by him, occasionally grazing an arm or a leg, but he was mostly unscathed.  Rocky, unfortunately, was not so lucky.  Frank heard him scream and felt the tower plummet toward the ground, dumping both Rocky and him into the pool's warm waters.  Frank floated in the water, occasionally turning his head ever so slightly in order to get a breath of air, but otherwise still – hoping against hope that everyone believed him dead, and would leave him where he was.  When he was finally left alone in the ballroom, he quickly climbed out of the pool, grabbed a robe and a gym bag he'd left backstage with some notebooks and the keys to his Denton apartment, and beat a hasty retreat before the castle took off on its voyage back to Transexual.

Why, yes, of course he had an apartment.  He couldn't effectively study U.S. society while cloistered in his castle, so he had to create an alter ego who would live among the inhabitants of the small town outside of which the castle was nestled.  The process was a lengthy and involved one.  While the mission was being planned, it was decided he would be a science professor, to capitalize on his area of expertise.  Naturally, in order to get a professorship, he would need the appropriate academic credentials.  While some falsifying of documents would be unavoidable – a birth certificate, for example, and early school transcripts – Frank felt the fewer such forgeries, the more airtight his new identity would be.  With the long life span of a Transylvanian working in his favor, and a suitably youthful appearance, one luxury he had was time.  A Transylvanian agent was already in place in England, working in the registrar's office of a boarding school called Kingswood.  He was able to create a transcript for Frank, which Frank used to be accepted to the University of Birmingham under the slightly amended name of Frank Furman.  He majored in biochemistry, carefully working so that he excelled in his studies, but not to such a degree that he would attract suspicion or undue attention.  He continued his graduate studies at the university, earning his PhD with the same level of careful academic excellence that had marked his undergraduate career.  At that point, he left England and journeyed to the United States, to join the rest of his mission in the town of Denton…a town that, not coincidentally, had a small but distinguished college in search of a professor for its growing science department.  The dean was delighted with the opportunity to get a young professor on the faculty, particularly one with such stellar credentials, and from that point on Frank spent Monday through Friday teaching at the college and living in an apartment near the campus.  He returned to the castle each weekend, preparing the weekly report for his mission log, supervising Riff Raff and Magenta, and working on the research project dearest to his heart – the creation a of living, breathing, exceedingly muscular life form.

The years spent living so much of the time amongst Earthings had not really changed Frank, although he was – to use one of his own favorite words – _adaptable _enough to fit into the foreign Earth culture in a surprisingly convincing manner.  However, it was never more than role-playing for him.  The list of his advantages was seemingly endless.  He was royalty, the adored, endlessly indulged son of Transylvania's queen.  In addition, he was good-looking and brilliant, successful at everything he attempted, and so powerfully charismatic and charming that he would have been the center of attention even without his wealth and royal status.  All of that, combined with an already abundant amount of self-confidence, combined to make him at times overbearing, thoughtless, autocratic and even cruel.  Due to his position, he had never been forced to suffer the consequences of those rather unattractive aspects of his character…until That Night.

That Night changed everything, although it had taken some time.  His first reaction, predictably enough, was fury at Riff Raff and Magenta's disloyalty and treachery.  How **_dare _**they do such a thing to him!  To **_HIM!  It was incredible!  And yet, as he thought about it, he realized…it wasn't so incredible after all.  While on Transexual there was a wide circle of courtiers, hangers-on, friends and lovers on which to inflict his occasional tantrums and petulance, on Earth the burden was on Riff Raff, Magenta and the luckless Columbia to bear such treatment.  Columbia, sadly for her, loved him enough to make excuses for his behavior, but Riff Raff and Magenta had no reason to harbor any warm feelings for him.  He'd always recognized, in some vague fashion, that Riff Raff and Magenta resented him, but it had hardly mattered.  After all, they were mere servants.  Why should he care about their feelings?  Unfortunately for him, they answered that question with a series of laser shots.  And he was left alone._**

Alone.  That was one thing he'd never been, and it scared him.  Even during his time at university in England, he'd always managed to keep in touch with his fellow Transylvanians, and thereby reassure himself about who he really was.  He wasn't an anonymous college student; he was a _prince.  He was __important.  Those days were over.  He realized, to his horror, he would have to make a life for himself on Earth, a life in which he wouldn't be royalty.  He wouldn't be wealthy.  He wouldn't be famous.  He would just be…himself.  So much of his self-image had been tied to those attributes that he wondered if he knew the person underneath anymore, or if that person was even worth knowing.  Slowly, painstakingly, he came to understand the effect his behavior had on those around him, and he was filled with pain.  However, as the pain eventually decreased, a new sense of freedom took its place.  Not the familiar freedom to treat others thoughtlessly, but the freedom to make a life in which he wouldn't be burdened by the demands of royalty and of fame.  And make no mistake, the burdens were real, even if he hadn't recognized them as such at the time.  When around other people, even in the most intimate of circumstances, he'd always felt compelled to be larger than life, to be "on," to satisfy their image of what he should be.  He couldn't ever be just another person…he couldn't be __ordinary.  He'd never thought about how much energy he had expended in his never-ending quest to live up to others' expectations of him.  Now he could use that same energy to figure out what his own expectations of himself were.  He knew that not all of his advantages had been taken from him; he still had his looks, his intelligence, and his charisma, along with an important new one – namely, empathy.  And, fortunately, he had a base from which to work, his job at the college.  The time had come to stop making himself larger than life…and to actually make a life for himself.  He could do it.  He'd always been successful before.  _


	2. School Days

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the characters that originally appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  More's the pity.

Janet Weiss had awakened far too early that morning, too excited and nervous to sleep.  Now she was sitting at her kitchen table, checking that she had everything she'd need for the day.  Notebooks?  Check.  Two pens, just in case one pen ran dry?  Check.  Campus map?  Check.  Class schedule?  Check.   Parking pass?  Check.  Stylish backpack in which to carry the aforementioned necessities?  Check.  The only other thing she needed couldn't be put in any backpack…namely, self-confidence.  

She'd been through so much during the past two years.  Before, her life had been on a predictable, safe, traditional course.  She'd met Brad Majors, the quintessential all-American boy, in high school.  They'd had a chaste, wholesome courtship, culminating in a marriage proposal at the wedding of their best friends, Ralph Hapschatt and Betty Munroe. When Brad had suggested they visit their old teacher, Dr. Everett Scott, to tell him the news of their engagement, she'd readily agreed.  He'd done so much to bring them together that was only right to give him the good news in person.  

Okay, so there was one very small cloud looming on Janet's otherwise sunny horizon that day.  Brad, admittedly, wasn't the world's most exciting man.  All her friends had always complained about how hard it was to resist the temptation to sleep with their boyfriends – or gushed about how fabulous it was once they gave in to the temptation.  She could never relate to their stories.  She was comfortable with Brad, and it felt safe and warm holding his hand or kissing him.  However, she'd never experienced passion, that hot, frantic sensation urging her to abandon her resolve and give herself over to physical pleasure.  She told herself that would come after the wedding…that it was only her determination to save herself for marriage that prevented her from wanting to express her love for Brad in sexual terms.

Of course, later that night she learned how wrong she was, in the most shocking manner possible.  She'd literally passed out when she first saw Frank N. Furter.  Initially she thought her reaction was due to his attire and makeup, which was, indeed, startling.  However, in retrospect, she realized she had been reacting to more than just his appearance – she'd been reacting to his blatant sexual energy, an energy that proved to be more than a little contagious.  She'd been under its influence when he visited her bedroom later that evening, masquerading as Brad.  As "Brad" kissed her, with a fire and self-assurance he'd never exhibited before, she'd been thrilled.  At long last he was demonstrating the ability to arouse the kind of passion and desire in her that her friends had always talked about.  When she discovered her lover's true identity, it had put her off only briefly.  By that time, she was fully controlled not by her mind, but by her body.  Against all rational thought, she wanted – no, _needed - him to make love to her, and it had turned out to be the most electrifying, life-altering experience she could have ever imagined.  Subsequent events that night… her own seduction of Rocky after discovering that Brad had been similarly seduced by Frank, her performance in Frank's floor show…only served to confirm that she was forever changed.  Frank had ignited a flame in her that could not be ignored._

But Frank was dead, dead and gone, and she and Brad decided to put the That Night behind them as best they could.  Their wedding took place, as planned, and they settled into the life of a traditional married couple.  Brad worked as a clerk in an accounting firm, and Janet was a housewife.  Brad had insisted, over her objections, that she give up her secretarial job once they were married.  No wife of his was going to work outside the home…everyone would think he couldn't support her.  Janet spent her days cooking, cleaning, and socializing with her friend Betty.  Janet also got bored.  Very, very bored.

It didn't help her mood that Brad, perhaps not surprisingly, turned out to be helpless in the bedroom.  Not only was he inept, he was angered by any attempts on her part to suggest things she would enjoy…suspecting, correctly enough, that they were things she had experienced with Frank.  While Janet understood his jealousy, his unwillingness to take any action to improve their sexual relationship frustrated and angered her.  

Her dissatisfaction with the state of their marriage led to what would turn out to be the biggest problem of all, her refusal to get pregnant.  Throughout their courtship, Brad and Janet had always anticipated having at least two children, and Brad was increasingly eager to start their family.  However, Janet was determined that children would have to wait until she and Brad had their relationship back on track.  Brad, for his part, was convinced that a baby would bring them closer together.  This conviction was supplemented by the idea, never expressed, that once he gave Janet a child, she would lose her obsession with Frank.  The debate between the two of them raged on, with neither willing to concede to the other's point of view.

Matters came to a head one Saturday, when Janet had run out to the drugstore to pick up some toothpaste and shampoo.  When she opened the medicine cabinet to put the toothpaste away, she noticed her container of birth control pills was missing.  After looking in every possible place, she finally asked Brad if he had seen them.  His reply had infuriated her beyond belief…he'd thrown them out, blithely stating that she didn't need them.  It was time for her to get pregnant, and that was all there was to it.

Unfortunately for Brad, that was _not "all there was to it," and it was all bad news for him.  As far as Janet was concerned, it was an unmistakable sign that Brad was completely incapable of respecting her feelings.  That very day she packed up her belongings and moved back in with her parents.  She finally realized that Brad would never be able to make her happy, and both of them deserved more than a hollow shell of a marriage.  Despite Brad's repeated pleas that she take him back and give him another chance, she filed for divorce.  Brad, finally realizing there was nothing he could do to change her mind, declined to challenge the action, and the divorce was quickly finalized._

Despite the fact that Janet initiated the divorce, and was fully convinced it was the right course of action, the failure of her marriage still hit her hard.  All her life she'd always done what she was supposed to do…she'd been the perfect daughter and the perfect girlfriend.  However, she'd failed in her attempt to be the perfect wife.  As "wife" and "mother" were the only roles she had ever expected to fill, she was at a loss as to what to do with her life.  It had been her father who suggested that she go back to school.  Her high school grades had been excellent, but she'd seen no reason to go to college.  A college degree was unnecessary for the life she'd envisioned for herself.  Now, everything had changed.  She applied to the College of Denton and, to her delight, was accepted.  It was time to approach the blank canvas that was her life, and begin to paint the picture of a glorious and fulfilled future.  At last, she was free.

Her decision to make the most of that freedom had led up to this, the first day of classes.  Let's see, what was on her schedule today?  There was English composition at 8am, world history at 10am, then no other classes until chemistry at 2pm.  She was definitely not looking forward to that one, but she'd been told all freshmen were required to take a science course.  At least her advisor assured her the professor was absolutely first rate… 


	3. Changes

Disclaimer:  I still don't own any of the characters that originally appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  I _do _own the character of Andrea Spencer.  Gee, I guess I won't have to buy that lottery ticket after all.  

To all outward appearances, Frank's commitment to leading a typical Earthling life was stunningly successful.  First to be abandoned was the feminine clothing and makeup he'd affected.  While such attire was not at all uncommon among the men of Transexual, particularly among the upper classes, he was aware that in Denton it would certainly lead to, at best, the termination of his employment, and at worst to total social ostracism.  He'd briefly toyed with the idea of "dressing up" in the privacy of his apartment in the evenings, or on weekends, but decided against it – too many people dropped in unexpectedly.  Besides, since he'd escaped the castle with barely more than the clothes on his back, which had been ruined in the pool, he would have had to purchase the necessary clothing and makeup.  That was a task he simply couldn't face.  

He also kicked his morphine habit, with no small amount of difficulty.  He'd long relied on the drug, or its Transylvanian equivalent, to help him deal with the pressures in his life.  Unfortunately, now that he needed that help the most, he was least able to indulge in it.  The stakes were too high if he were caught.  He did smoke an occasional joint, in the company of some trusted and like-minded friends, but that was the extent of his drug use.   

Less tangible than the above changes, but perhaps even more difficult, were the many attitude adjustments he was forced to make.  No longer could he see anyone as his "subjects" or his "servants" – or as mere objects of research and study.  They were his students; his colleagues; his bosses; his friends; his lovers…or even just acquaintances.  In any event, they were people he was obligated to treat with, at the very least, respect.  The days of temper tantrums and power trips were, for the most part, over.  Although occasionally his temper still got the better of him, those lapses, ironically enough, only served to add to his apparent humanity.

The one aspect of his old personality he was most unable to alter proved to be his sexuality.  The sex drive of the typical Transylvanian was significantly stronger than that of the typical Earthling, and Frank's was powerful even by Transylvanian standards.  His life became a constant struggle between his physical urges and his need to maintain a respectable reputation in his community.  Most of the time, his solution was to search out anonymous lovers, both male and female, in nightclubs and discos located in the larger towns outside of Denton.  However, to keep up appearances and help stave off loneliness, he was also usually involved in an ongoing, seemingly monogamous, relationship with someone in his Denton social circle, always a woman.  Those relationships provided a different kind of struggle.  While he genuinely liked the women he became involved with, his inability to reveal his true self to any of them inevitably led to a kind of emotional distance on his part.  He was attracted to all of them, but able to fall in love with none.  However, the women themselves were not only able, but downright eager, to fall in love with him.  As a result, he found himself becoming all too expert at ending relationships gracefully.  Somehow, instead of his serial "monogamy" earning him a reputation as a cad, the women in his circle came to see him as a challenge…each believing she alone had the key that would open the door to his heart.  The struggle would continue.     

It was now the afternoon of the first day of classes, and Frank, to his dismay, was running late.  He'd arranged to meet a colleague over the lunch hour, and, well, he'd lost track of time.  It should be noted the colleague was a lovely young woman named Andrea Spencer, who just happened to be a professor of English literature at the college.  Given Frank's proclivities, it should come as no surprise that their lunch meeting had nothing to do with lunch.  He'd met her the night before, at a faculty mixer.  Frank had developed an appreciation of English literature, particularly the works of Shakespeare, during his time at the University of Birmingham, and he reveled in the opportunity to discuss the plays and sonnets with someone possessed of even greater knowledge than his own.  As the evening wore on, it became increasingly obvious their interest in each other was more than simply academic.  They wound up consummating their attraction with a night of passionate lovemaking at her apartment just off campus, scheduling a "repeat performance" for a mutually convenient gap in their schedules the next day.  Unfortunately they were so engrossed in each other that they failed to pay attention to the clock, and he was now rushing to make it to his 2pm class on time.  To his relief, there were several vacant parking spaces in the lot next to the science building.  He would be able to get there just ahead of the bell.  He'd planned on going over the class roster before the students started arriving, but there would be no time for that.  No matter…since this was a class of freshmen, he couldn't expect to see any familiar names anyway.


	4. A Familiar Face?

Writer's comment:  OK, your patience is paying off.  We're starting to get to the action now.

Janet, relieved, finally found herself at the classroom door for her chemistry class.  During the course of the day she'd somehow misplaced her campus map, and she'd spent 25 increasingly frantic minutes searching for the correct building.  She was disappointed to find that, due to her relatively late arrival, the only vacant seats were in the front row.  She hated sitting up front, as it made her feel far too conspicuous, but there wasn't much she could do about it.  At least the professor hadn't yet arrived, so hopefully she'd have at least a couple of minutes to catch her breath and regain her composure – such as it was - before class began.

With the exception of the loss of her map, thus far the day had gone well.  She was truly going to enjoy the English composition class.  Over the past couple of years, she'd taken to keeping a diary, and found the exercise of writing was simultaneously soothing and intellectually stimulating for her.  Plus, the instructor, a graduate student named Jennifer Cooper, seemed outgoing, enthusiastic and creative.  Janet did have to chuckle wryly at the first assignment, however.  The students were directed to write an essay about their "most memorable experience."  Somehow Janet suspected her college career might come to an abrupt end if she completed _that assignment truthfully!  _

The world history class would probably also prove interesting, but what pleased Janet the most about that class was the young woman who had been sitting next to her.  Laurie Greenfield, like Janet, was in her mid-twenties, and was returning to college after the collapse of her marriage.  After the class was over, they journeyed together to the student bookstore to buy their textbooks.  Then they headed over to the cafeteria to grab some lunch, recover from fighting the hordes at the bookstore, and get better acquainted.  The more they talked, the more they realized they had in common.  Both had married their high school sweethearts.  Both had planned to be stay-at-home wives and mothers.  Both had felt completely adrift when their marriages failed.  And both had been apprehensive about feeling "out of place" among all the younger students.  Already Janet felt as if she'd found a true friend in Laurie, and lord knows she badly needed a friend.  Betty and her other friends from high school had shunned her when she divorced Brad, and the realization of how lonely she had been suddenly hit Janet with the force of a sledgehammer.  However, maybe it was for the best; maybe Janet was meant to sever all ties with the past in her quest for a new life.  If Laurie was a sign of what was to come, she had nothing to fear.

That brave feeling had dissipated in her search for the science building, and now she sat waiting, with increasing apprehension, for the arrival of the chemistry professor.  She'd hated all her high school science classes; she simply had neither interest nor aptitude for the subject matter.  Judging from the conversations she heard around her, she was not the only one who felt that way.

"God, I can't even stand the _thought of being here.  I'd hoped I was finished with science classes when I graduated from high school!" complained the girl sitting behind Janet._

Her companion agreed.  "I know.  Not only were the subjects awful, but the teachers were the _worst!  Every science teacher I had was middle aged, nerdy and __totally boring.  At least I hear this professor isn't like that."_

The first girl sounded interested.  "What do you mean?"

"My cousin had him for a biochemistry class.  When she looked at my class schedule and saw I had him for chemistry, she told me I'd just love him.  She said he's young, good-looking, and has the most gorgeous English accent you've ever heard.  And somehow he manages to make the classes fun.  I can't believe _anyone can make a chemistry class fun, but at least he should be fun to __look at!"_

Her friend laughed.  "Hey, and if he has an English accent, I'll love _listening to him, even if I don't understand a thing he says."_

Before the other girl could respond, the professor, a handsome young man with sparkling hazel eyes and a mane of dark curly hair, walked into the room…and Janet sat staring at him, frozen in shock.

It couldn't be.  It just wasn't possible.  Frank was _dead…she'd seen him die.  Riff Raff had shot him, and he died.  Could he come back from the dead?  After all, he'd found a way to create life…could someone have used that knowledge to bring him __back to life?_

_No.  Don't be ridiculous.  This man just resembles him, that's all.  Anyway, who could tell exactly what Frank looked like under all that makeup?  The English accent and scientific background?  Just coincidence.  The similarity in their names?  Another coincidence.  Besides, when he entered the classroom, he'd looked right at her, with no reaction at all.  He __couldn't have totally forgotten her, not after what they'd done together.  Not after she'd given her virginity to him.  Could he??_


	5. An Introduction

Writer's comment:  If _I'd _had this particular professor in any of my science classes, I might have enjoyed them a lot more...

Frank paused at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and collected himself.  The mad rush to get here had been unnerving, but he'd managed to make it on time.  He tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach.  No matter how comfortable he was in front of the classroom, no matter how many classes he taught, he always had a touch of something akin to stage fright before facing a class for the first time.  Okay, he told himself, it was time to start the show.  He put a welcoming smile on his face, and walked through the door.

He took a quick look around the classroom as he entered.  It was a large class, as he'd expected.  As he examined the faces of the students, his eyes fell on a young woman in the front row, staring at him with a stunned expression.  The sight of her face hit him with the same impact as that blast from Riff Raff's laser gun.  It took every ounce of his hard-earned self-control to keep the expression on his own face unchanged, to keep from gasping out loud.  He pulled the class roster out of his briefcase, and there it was.  Janet Weiss.  Oh My God. 

Now what?  He quickly realized there was nothing he could do about it right now…he just had to go on with the class, and they'd deal with it afterward.  There was a small knot in his stomach at the thought.  Obviously she'd recognized him.  What must she be thinking?  How did she feel about him?  Did she hate him for what he'd done to her and Brad?  Forcing himself to shove the thoughts of Janet out of his head, he turned to address the waiting students.

"How do you do?  My name is Dr. Frank Furman, but you can call me…Dr. Furman."

The class laughed.

He continued.  "Before we get started, I'd like to find out precisely what I'll be dealing with.  I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer completely honestly.  Do you understand?"

Some affirmative murmurs greeted his question.

"Splendid.  Okay, how many of you are here because you have a true love of chemistry?  A true love of the sciences?  A burning desire to learn about the chemical reactions that go into so much of the life surrounding all of us?  Remember…be _honest."_

A few tentative hands were raised.

"Just as I expected.  All right, how many of you are here because this institution, to your infinite disappointment, requires that every freshman take a science class, and you chose chemistry because at least you would not be forced to dissect any formerly living creatures?"

Much laughter greeted this question, and most of the hands in the class shot up.

Frank laughed.  "Also just as I expected.  I can see I'll have my work cut out for me.  My job will not be merely to teach you the basics of chemistry.  I have also been charged with opening your eyes to the wonders of science in general.  Before I can do that, I suspect I'll need to break through the preconceptions about science – and scientists – that you have brought with you into this classroom.  I'm aware of the high social esteem with which you regard scientists."  He smiled.  "Tell me if I'm right.  When your typical scientist was a child, he brought a fully functional model of a nuclear reactor to his third grade science fair.  He wore a bow tie in his school picture every year until graduation.  He had to bribe one of his little sister's friends to accompany him to his high school prom.  Every single person who signed his yearbook was a member of the science club.  As an adult, his entire wardrobe appears to come from a 1950s Sears catalogue, and his social skills continue to rival those of a nervous 14 year old with acne.  For a career, he either spends his days ensconced in a laboratory, performing experiments with no discernable purpose and writing incomprehensible articles about them, or he finds himself in the front of a classroom, delivering lectures in a droning monotone and extolling the virtues of the periodic table.  Of course, those who teach at the college level are fortunate enough to divide their time between both the pointless laboratory work and the droning classroom lectures.  I use male pronouns quite deliberately, as naturally all scientists are men.  Does that sum it up?"

He looked around the classroom, amused.  It was obvious he'd captured their impression of what scientists were like, but their sheepish grins showed they were too embarrassed to admit it out loud.

He laughed again.  "It's quite all right, really.  I understand where the stereotype comes from.  However, it's my goal to get you to move beyond it, to get you to understand that a wide variety of people, both men and women, are interested in the sciences, and that scientific inquiry is absolutely vital to our lives in countless ways.  Those people locked away in laboratories are coming up with important advances in world health, in agriculture, in space exploration…their work is far from irrelevant, and if even just a couple of you leave this course with the idea of possibly pursuing a career in the sciences, my time will have been well spent.  Actually, if I can simply get you to admit that not every scientist is a hopeless nerd, I'll be able to count that as a personal triumph."

To the accompaniment of laughter, he went over to his desk.  "Okay, enough of the philosophical stuff.  Time for roll call…"


	6. The Endless Class

**Writer's comment:  Thank you to the three readers who offered feedback (although I'm not quite sure if the "mooore chapters" comment was a request for additional writing or an expression of horror at the amount of writing that was already there g).  It is both helpful and appreciated.**

The instant he introduced himself to the class, all doubt was removed from Janet's mind.  There was no mistaking that velvety baritone voice.  She knew it was he.

The shock began to abate, only to be replaced with a flood of almost painfully visceral memories.  No longer was she sitting in a classroom; her mind had transported her back to that night…to that castle…to that bedroom.  The delicious warmth of his lips and tongue caressing her bare skin.  The weight of his body on top of her own.  Wave after wave of pure physical ecstasy washing over her as he moved inside her, at first gently, then with greater urgency and power…

Suddenly she was jolted out of her fantasy by a hand gently shaking her shoulder.  She looked up, startled, and saw Frank smiling at her, looking as if he were trying not to laugh.  "Everyone in the class is introducing themselves.  Would you care to follow suit?"

She blushed.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  I'm Janet Weiss."

"Thank you for joining us, Ms. Weiss."  He smiled again, and returned to the front of the classroom as the introductions continued.

Janet wanted to cry.  It wasn't bad enough that she'd managed to arouse herself with her memories of that night; now she had to add acute embarrassment to the emotional mix.  What made it even worse was the sensation she had when she looked up at him…the feeling that he knew exactly what she'd been thinking.  She tried to dismiss the thought.  He possessed many gifts, true, but he'd never claimed to be a mind reader.

The rest of the class passed with excruciating slowness.  She found it impossible to concentrate on what he was saying; all she could think about was speaking with him afterward.  She _had to find out if he remembered her; __had to find out what had brought him out of apparent death and into her chemistry classroom…and back into her life._

Finally, it was over.  She waited in her seat, with growing impatience and irritation, as a large group of students – mostly female – gathered around his desk, complimenting him on the class and asking question after inane question.  At last, they were alone.

Frank looked over at her, smiled, and sighed.  "I suppose we need to talk."

Janet approached his desk.  "So you _do remember me, then?"_

Frank raised his eyebrows.  "Of course I remember you.  How on earth could I not?"

"Well, I wasn't sure.  You didn't react at all when you saw me.  I was afraid that, well, maybe I wasn't all that memorable."

Frank shook his head, then took her hand.  "I assure you, you were quite memorable indeed."

She flushed, basking in both the compliment and the sensation of her hand resting in his.  Finally, she worked up the courage to ask the question that had been haunting her from the moment she saw him.  "How can you be here?  I…I saw you die.  What happened?"

He let go of her hand and sighed again.  "I didn't die.  It's a long story, and one you deserve to hear.  But I can't tell it here or now."

"When, then?  Do you have any time this afternoon?"

He shook his head.  "No.  I'm teaching another class at 3:00, then I have a faculty meeting at 4 that will probably last a couple of hours."

"What about after that?"

"I'm afraid I'm having dinner with…a friend this evening."

Janet's frustration was growing by the second.  "We _need to talk this out.  Can we get together after you're finished with dinner?  You can drop by my apartment."_

He looked at her for a long moment.  Somehow he wasn't comfortable about meeting her at night, particularly at her apartment.  But by the same token, it wouldn't be fair to leave her hanging.  She deserved answers to the many questions she had to have.  Besides, it wasn't as if these were matters that could be discussed in a public place.

"Very well."  He tore a piece of paper out of a notebook he kept in his briefcase.  "Write down your address for me, and I'll stop by.  I imagine it will be sometime between 8 and 9."

Eagerly she wrote down her address and phone number.  "Here you go."

Frank took the sheet of paper, and put it in his wallet.  "Okay.  I'll see you later tonight."

Janet smiled.  "Great.  And…Frank?"

"Yes?"

"I'm so glad you didn't die."

Frank looked back at her.  "Thank you.  I'm glad, too…at least most of the time."

He turned and left. 


	7. True Confessions

**Writer's comment:  The question arose as to whether Frank makes it back to Transexual.  The story is finished, so the answer is "out there"…but if I told you now, I'd have to kill you. J.**

Frank and Andrea settled into a back booth at Luigi's Pizzeria, on Denton's Main Street.  Originally they'd planned to go to Le Petit Bistro, a French restaurant that had just opened to glowing reviews, but ultimately decided that dressing up to go to a fancy restaurant would feel too much like work after the stress of the first day of classes.  They ordered a cheese pizza and a pitcher of beer, and settled back to relax and chat.  

Andrea smiled at him.  "I meant to ask you…did you make it to your 2:00 class on time?  I must say, I've never seen anyone get dressed so quickly in my life!"

Frank laughed.  "Incredibly enough, yes, I did.  Just barely.  If we ever decide to try anything like that again, I'm afraid I'll have to insist you set an alarm."

She leaned across the table and kissed him.  "Not _if, Frank.  _When_."_

As they talked, Frank pondered his feelings for Andrea.  Although they'd just met, he felt a connection with her he hadn't experienced since…well, since he'd left Transexual.  He tried to analyze what it was about her that so compelled him.  Of course, there were her obvious physical attributes…a mane of glossy, shoulder-length auburn hair, bright blue eyes gleaming with warmth and humor, an ever-ready smile, and a slim yet curvaceous figure.  Her intelligence was as striking as her beauty.  She was extremely knowledgeable in her field, but even better, she demonstrated a lively curiosity and interest in a wide range of subjects.  As their initial conversation meandered from Shakespeare on to politics, Renaissance art, religion, and, yes, the sciences, he was impressed by the many insights she was able to bring to the various topics.  Perhaps best of all from Frank's point of view, she was the first person – male or female – he'd met on this planet who was as sexually insatiable as he.  Their lovemaking had an intensity he'd been unable to capture with any of the countless others he'd been with.  No wonder he'd almost missed his class!  Despite all those advantages, he still felt there was something else to explain their bond…some mysterious chemistry he couldn't pin down and prove with Bunsen burners and formulas and test tubes.  Which was, he decided, as it should be.

After they finished dinner, they decided to take a walk down Main Street.  Frank knew he should be heading over to Janet's apartment, but, truth be told, he wasn't quite ready to face the discussion that was to come.

Andrea looked up at him.  "Do you want to go to my place?"

Frank sighed.  "I'd love to, but I can't.  I have a problem with a student I need to straighten out."

She looked surprised.  "You've run into a problem so soon?  A problem that needs to be dealt with at 8:30 at night?"

"The problem isn't academic.  It's…personal."

Her silence told him she was waiting for him to elaborate.  He tried to figure out what he could say.  Obviously the complete, unvarnished truth was not an option.  At the same time, he didn't want to lie to her.  He'd just have to tell her as much of the truth as he could, and omit the many important details he simply couldn't afford to share with her yet…or maybe ever.  At any rate, the things he _could _tell her would be bad enough.

"It turns out that one of the students in my freshman chemistry class is a young woman I had an…encounter with a couple of years ago."

She raised her eyebrows.  "Your _freshman _chemistry class?  How old is she?"

Frank hastened to reassure her.  "She's in her mid-twenties now, so she was probably 22 or 23 at the time.  Anyway, in years past, I'm afraid my sex drive sometimes made me…well, I suppose _destructive _would be the best word for it.  I met her at a party, and seduced her that night.  I never saw her again…until this afternoon."

Andrea looked at him narrowly.  "Well, okay, that wasn't incredibly nice of you, but I don't quite understand the big problem.  Is she still holding a grudge after all this time?"

"I don't know if she's holding a grudge.  But you need to understand, there was more to it than just a simple one-night stand."

"Oh?  What exactly does _that _mean?"

Frank answered reluctantly.  "Well, for one thing…she was engaged.  Her fiancé was actually with her at the party."

Andrea shook her head.  "Not nice."

Frank couldn't help but agree with her.  "No, not nice at all.  And I'm afraid it gets worse."

"I think I'm afraid to ask."

He winced, but continued.  "It turned out that it was, well, her first time."    
  
"You had a one-night stand with a _virgin?  _Did you _know_ she was a virgin?"

"I found out before we actually had sex, yes.  But instead of deterring me, it actually made me more determined.  The thought that she'd been holding out on her fiancé, but was willing to give up her virginity for me, gave me a feeling of power."  He looked away, afraid to see her reaction to his words.  "I can't make any excuses for my behavior.  I know it was hideous.  For what it's worth, the events of that night were what made me reexamine the way I'd been living my life.  It wasn't a pleasant process, to say the least."    

She was silent for a moment.  "No, I imagine it wasn't."  She stopped walking, and looked down at the ground.  "What happened with her fiancé?  Did they get married?"

"I don't know.  She's registered for my class under her maiden name, so either they never got married, or they did and the marriage failed.  I'm sure she'd be using his name were they still together.  In any event, undoubtedly I'm largely responsible for the end of their relationship.  I don't know what I can say to make up for that."     

She sighed, and put her hand on his arm.  "I don't know, either.  Are you sure it's wise to even try?  What if it makes matters even worse?"

Frank wished he could explain why he had to talk to Janet, but he just couldn't.  "All I can do is hope it doesn't.  She wants to talk to me about it, and I owe her that much.  If she's going to be sitting in my class for the remainder of the semester, we have to try to clear the air.  So I agreed to meet with her tonight at her apartment."

She nodded.  "I suppose I see your point.  But do you really want to meet her alone?  In her _apartment, _no less?  Would it be a good idea for me to go with you?"  

Frank was momentarily horror-struck.  Have her come along?  _Oh, of course, right after I invite Riff Raff and Magenta to tea.  _"It's not so much that I _want _to meet her alone as that I _have _to.  At any rate, I hardly think my showing up with my new lover would improve her mood."

She laughed softly.  "No, I guess not.  But promise me something."

"What?"

"That you'll come to _my_ apartment when you're finished.  I still think going over there is dangerous.  At least you'll be able to honestly tell her you have somewhere else you need to be.  Besides, I know your conversation won't be easy.  After an experience like that, I don't want you to be alone." 

Frank felt as if he'd managed to escape from the middle of a minefield.  He realized he'd been terrified his confession would lead her to walk away from him for good.  He took her in his arms and kissed her gratefully.  "I promise."                


	8. Not Simply a Chance Meeting

**Writer's comment:  It's time for Frank and Janet to have a little chat...**

Janet sat on her living room couch, flipping through a magazine in a desultory manner and checking her watch every couple of minutes.  9:05.  Where _was he?  Okay, he'd only __estimated he'd be there sometime between 8 and 9, but she couldn't rid herself of the fear that he wouldn't show up at all.  What if he was having too good a time with his __friend to bother with her?  From the pause before he'd used the word "friend," she was certain there was nothing platonic about their relationship.  The idea made her burn with jealousy, although she recognized the absurdity of the reaction.  Lord only knows how many lovers he'd had since she'd last seen him.  And it certainly wasn't as if she'd ever had any claim on him to begin with.  On the contrary, she was well aware she'd been nothing more than just another body for him to play with.  So why was she so anxious to see him?_

Her musings were interrupted by the peal of the doorbell.  Her stomach lurched as she got up to answer the door.  There, as promised, stood Frank.  

_Damn him, thought Janet.  __He's as cool as a cucumber.  The least he could do is look nervous!_

As she stood in silence at the door, Frank looked at her curiously.  "I'm sorry I'm a bit late.  I hope I didn't inconvenience you.  May I come in?"

She recovered some semblance of composure.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  Of course, come on in."

He stepped in, looking around the cozy living room.  "This is lovely.  It looks exactly like the kind of home you'd have."

She smiled.  Whether he'd meant the compliment or not, she appreciated hearing it.  "Thank you.  Can I get you anything?  A glass of wine, maybe?"

"A glass of wine would be greatly appreciated."  

She went into her kitchen, and returned with two glasses of white wine.  Frank sat down on the couch, and she settled into an armchair next to him.  She looked at him expectantly.

He sighed.  "I don't quite know where to start."

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.  "I've always thought the beginning was a good place to start."

"Fair enough."  So he did.  He told her of the early experience with anti-matter that saved his life later on.  He told her about the start of his mission on Earth, and the long process of building a new Earthling identity.  Finally, he told her about what he'd been through in the time since the attack – how he'd struggled with his past behavior, and tried to build a new life for himself.

When he finished, she sat in silence, momentarily overwhelmed by what she'd heard.  "My God,' she whispered.  She looked at him.  "Thank you.  I appreciate your telling me those things.  I had no idea how much you've been through.  So everyone back on Transexual thinks you're dead?  Even your mother?  There's no way to get word to her?"

He shook his head.  "No.  As far as I know, all the Transylvanians who'd been stationed on Earth have returned home.  And there's certainly no existing technology here that would enable me to get a message back there."

She tried to imagine what it would be like…to be light-years away from home, with no way to return, knowing that everyone you love believes you to be dead.  Her eyes filled with tears.  "I'm so sorry."

He saw her tears, and spoke briskly in an attempt to break the melancholy mood.  "If nothing else, I'm a survivor.  I've learned to live with what happened…to make some sort of peace with it.  Perhaps it all happened for a reason.  While I'm often dreadfully homesick, and miss my loved ones terribly, in other ways I'm happier now than I ever was."

She stared at him.  "How can you say that?  You were royalty.  You had everything you could possibly want." 

He shook his head again.  "My position brought me a great many advantages, certainly, but they all came with a price.  For one thing, I could never go anywhere on my own…an entourage always had to accompany me.  I often felt like some sort of prisoner.  My every movement and action was subject to public scrutiny.  People held certain expectations of me from the time I was born.  Even if they weren't expectations I would have chosen for myself, I had to live up to them.  Perhaps most importantly, I never knew if anyone outside of my own family genuinely cared about me, or if they merely wanted the thrill and status of being around royalty.  At least here on Earth, I know people are judging me for the kind of person I am, not on what my social position happens to be."  He laughed wryly.  "Of course, it's probably a good thing I _wasn't judged on my personality and behavior back on Transexual, as both left a great deal to be desired.  You witnessed that firsthand, that night in the castle."_

Janet smiled softly and looked into his eyes.  "I think you've come a long way since then."

Frank looked away, a touch uncomfortably.  "Enough about me.  What happened to your relationship with Brad?  Did you two ever marry?"

She rolled her eyes.  "Oh, yes.  And it was a disaster."

"Why?"

She sat in silence for a moment, trying to put her thoughts into words.  "I don't think he ever came to terms with what happened that night in the castle.  The thought of you and me together _really drove him crazy.  He tried to control every aspect of our lives, and I think it was because he'd had no control at all that night.  Before, he'd always been so gentle and considerate.  But once we got married, he made me quit my job.  I didn't want to, but he insisted.  He only wanted me to see our friends from school, so it would seem as if nothing had changed.  He even tried to force me to get pregnant, as if that would have made everything all right between us.  I wanted a __husband, not a live-in dictator.  I finally had to give up, and acknowledge the relationship was never going to work."  _

She sighed.  "You know, he was never the most exciting guy.  But after I'd been with you, he seemed even more boring.  Especially in bed.  He was _so hopeless, and he refused to do anything about it.  It was unbelievably frustrating."_

Frank grimaced.  "I made a real mess of your lives, didn't I?"

Janet considered his words.  "Well, yes, in a way I guess you could say that.  But I'm not sure it was a bad thing."

"What do you mean?"

"All I would have ever been was a wife and mother.  The more I learn about myself, the more I think I would have ended up feeling resentful and unfulfilled one day.  Now I have the chance to do what you've done…you know, to forget about what everyone else expects me to do, and figure out for myself what _I want to do."  She blushed.  "And I never would have understood why people get so worked up over sex.  I probably would have assumed that Brad was good in bed, and it was my own fault that I didn't enjoy it.  Or I would have figured that people were exaggerating when they talked about how good it could be."_

Frank wasn't sure he cared for the direction the conversation was taking, and decided it would be a good time to call it a night.

"It's been wonderful seeing you, but I really need to get going.  I have an 8:30 class in the morning."

Janet stared at him.  Quickly, before her courage failed her, she moved from her chair and sat down beside him on the couch.

"You don't _have to go."  Before he could answer, she put her arms around him and kissed him passionately, extending her tongue to caress his.  _

Frank, momentarily caught off guard, instinctively responded to her kiss with equal ardor.  He felt her body melting into his, and heard her moan softly.  The sensation was deliciously erotic.  Nonetheless, when she finally drew back to catch her breath, he gently disentangled himself from her embrace and stood up.  

He couldn't allow Janet to see his internal struggle.  Her newfound sexual assertiveness made her even more attractive to him, and it took all his willpower to turn down her enticingly delivered invitation.  Refusing sex with someone he wanted was completely foreign to him.  However, he knew full well if he were to make love to her again, it would be disastrous to her emotional health.  And, much to his amazement, he realized he would feel as if he were betraying Andrea.  Now _that was something he'd never considered before._

With these thoughts in mind, he looked down at Janet, to all outward appearances completely unflustered.  "You're very sweet, and very lovely, but I'm afraid I really _do have to go."_

She too stood up, bewildered.  "But why?  You may have taken advantage of me before, but this time it's different.  I _know what I want, and I want you."  _

Frank stood back and shook his head.  "Well, for one thing, you're my student.  There are certain things a professor isn't supposed to do, and sleeping with a student is about ten of them."

"I'll drop the class, then."

Frank rolled his eyes.  "I would recommend you not do that.  I assure you, I'd be much more useful to you as a professor than as a lover."

Janet looked at him in frustration.  "What on _earth are you talking about?  Don't you understand?  I love you!"_

She stopped in horror.  She'd never intended to say that to him…it had just come out, before she could stop herself.  Oh, God, how mortifying.

Frank froze for a moment, then sat down heavily on the couch.  "Janet, that's absolutely absurd.  You can't possibly love me.  What you're feeling is lust, not love.  You Earthlings have a very bad habit of confusing the two, or of thinking they're the same thing.  They're not.  Both have their place, and it's wonderful when they come together, but it happens much less frequently than people think."

Janet sat down next to him.  "I know, I'm just not sexy enough for you.  That's it, isn't it?"

For the first time, Frank looked angry.  "You're not listening to me at all, are you?  Would you care to tell me what made you fall in love with me?  Was it the delightful way I butchered Eddie right in front of you?  Or perhaps my endearing trick of serving him to you for dinner later in the evening?   Or my not being content with simply robbing you_ of __your virginity, but robbing your fiancé of his as well?  Yes, I can see how that kind of behavior could make one fall hopelessly in love."  _

He stood up again.  "I know very well how powerful great sex can be…I've spent the greater part of my life using it as a weapon, both for my own physical pleasure and for the sheer joy of reveling in the control it gave me over others.  However, one must keep it in perspective.  Don't fool yourself into believing that great sex necessarily equals great love.  You have a real opportunity to create a wonderful future for yourself…don't waste it pining after me.  I'll never be able to give you the love you need.  I may be able to provide it physically, but not emotionally.  I can say with absolute certainty that would never be enough for you."

Janet's eyes filled with tears.  "You can't love me?  What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's _wrong with you.  I've had countless lovers, but I can count the number of times I've been __in love on one hand, with fingers left over.  I can't explain why that's the case, but it is."_

Frank knelt down beside her and took her hand.  "Look, I _do care about you.  I admire the way you're taking charge of your life.  That's why I'm doing you the favor of __not sleeping with you.  I disrupted your life once, which may or may not have been a good thing.  However, I have absolutely no intention of doing it again.  Just stay in my class.  Allow me to help you with what you're trying to accomplish."  He released her hand and stood back up, awaiting her reaction. _

Janet sat quietly for a couple of minutes, considering his words.  She finally allowed herself to hear what he was trying to say.  In her heart, she realized he was right.

She looked up at him and smiled weakly.  "Okay, I will.  Thanks for trying to explain things to me.  I promise I won't forget what you said."

Frank smiled back at her, relieved.  "You're welcome.  And now I really do have to go."

Janet looked at him.  "Are you going to be with your…friend?"

He grinned.  "Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

"What's your friend's name?"

He looked at her curiously.  "Andrea."

"Do you love _her?"_

He looked thoughtful.  "We just met last night.  It's too soon to tell.  But I'm quite taken with her."

Janet took his hand as she opened the door.  "I hope it works out for you.  After all you've been through, you deserve to be in love."

"Thanks.  You, too."  He smiled and left.


	9. Student Life

**Writer's comment:  I know this sucker is long, which is probably putting people off (along with the fact that it isn't a Riff Raff and Magenta story).  It look me a long time to decide whether or not to post it at all, partially for that reason.  Please let me know if I should keep posting chapters, or if it's just a waste of server space.**

The next couple of days after her meeting with Frank were difficult for Janet.  Her predominant emotions – depression and embarrassment – alternated back and forth like riders on some sort of seesaw from Hell.  How could she have thrown herself at him that way?  Although he seemed to take it in stride, she couldn't help but wonder what he _really _thought of her behavior.  Did he find her pathetic?  Foolish?  Deluded?  In her darker moments, she believed she was probably all of those things.  She particularly dreaded having to face him Wednesday afternoon, when her next chemistry class was scheduled.  She seriously considered dropping the class, despite his plea to her; she didn't feel capable of even looking him in the face.

Fortunately, reason overcame emotion.  She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid the science requirement.  Perhaps more to the point, she knew she wouldn't be able to find a better instructor to help her get through it.  Attempting to keep those thoughts in mind, she entered the classroom…not without considerable trepidation.  Frank was already there, rifling through the paperwork in his briefcase.  As she passed by his desk, he looked up, smiled at her, and said softly, "I'm pleased you decided to return to class.  I'm afraid I had my doubts that you would."

Janet was too startled to reply.  It hadn't occurred to her that he would give her presence, or lack thereof, so much as a passing thought.  She gave him a quick, shy smile in response, and sat down.  He didn't say anything else to her, but what he said was enough.  She knew he didn't love her, and never would, but at least he seemed to _like _her.  It wasn't what she'd wanted, but it would do.    

When class was over, she again waited for the crowd around his desk to disperse.  When the final chemistry fan had departed, she approached him.  "Frank, I owe you an apology for my behavior Monday night."

He looked confused.  "An apology?  Why?"

"I put you in a very awkward position.  I tried to force you into a relationship, and I had no right to do that."

Frank laughed.  "I appreciate and accept the apology, but it wasn't necessary.  What I did to you certainly went far beyond what you did to me.  Now _that _was 'forcing you into a relationship'…or at least the highly temporary semblance of one."

He closed his briefcase and prepared to leave.  "Don't worry about Monday night.  Just concentrate on your classes, and meeting people, and making the most of your time here.  As with everything else, what you get out of your college experience will be reflective of what you put into it."

His words, though neither unique nor particularly profound, nonetheless struck a chord with Janet.  The more she thought about what he'd said, the more determined she became to take full advantage of this opportunity she'd been given.  Her first order of business had to be her classes.  The emotional roller coaster she'd been on those first few days of the semester hadn't been conducive to concentrating on lectures and assignments.  Over the course of the weeks and months that

followed, she rediscovered the joy of learning she'd always experienced in high school.  As her mastery of the class material increased, so did her self-confidence.  She became an active participant in classroom discussions, organized study groups with newfound friends among her classmates, and tackled assignments with brisk enthusiasm.  She was having a wonderful time.  

Much to her amazement, chemistry turned out to be her favorite course, for reasons totally unrelated to her history with its professor - which is not to say that Frank had nothing to do with her enjoyment of the class.  On the contrary, it was his talent as an instructor that made the subject come alive for her.  He could take complex ideas and make them understandable, without oversimplifying them.  He turned the class lectures into truly interactive experiences, as he connected with his students and made them eager to communicate their ideas and questions.   Perhaps most importantly, he had a unique gift for making his class feel the same enthusiasm he did for the wonders of science.  Janet began to understand how much skill was required to be an effective teacher, and for the first time thought of possibly following that path herself.  It must be so rewarding to accomplish what Frank had…to take a class full of people with no interest in the subject matter and no desire to be there, and watch them connect both with you and with what you're trying to teach them.    

But could _she_ ever do that?  Frank was magnetic, charismatic, a natural showman.  She didn't believe she could get in front of a class and take control through sheer force of personality, as he had.  She communicated her concerns to him during a visit to his office.

Although Frank made no effort to establish any kind of social relationship with Janet, he had proven willing to meet with her in his office outside of his normal office hours, in order to provide her with guidance and encouragement.

"You don't have to be a carbon copy of me in order to be a good teacher.  There are as many ways to teach a class as there are teachers.  Think back to your favorite teachers during your earlier school days…I'm sure they took different approaches to their class work, but they each managed to make an impression on you.  It's simply a matter of finding out what works best for you…and that's something you probably won't discover until you actually find yourself in front of a classroom.  It _is _easier if one is outgoing, but it isn't as if you can convince me you have no showmanship in your soul.  I remember you up on that stage during the floor show!"

Janet blushed.  "That was different."

He grinned.  "No, it wasn't.  You were expressing a part of yourself that had always been there…you'd just kept it well hidden.  I'm telling you, it's still there.  You just need to tap into it." 

It was food for thought.    


	10. Discovery of Love

Janet wasn't the only one experiencing dramatic life changes that semester.  Frank, too, was exploring previously uncharted territory.  His relationship with Andrea, intense from the start, quickly deepened into a genuine love affair.  Somehow she'd been able to penetrate every defense he had, connecting with him in an almost primal way.  At first he'd fought the connection.  He'd always been in complete control in his prior relationships, and the loss of that control was frightening.  However, the thought of losing her by barring her from his heart was far more terrifying.  He gave up the fight, and turned over his life and love to her – as she did to him.  

For the first time in Frank's life, he was completely faithful to a lover.  Their powerful emotional bond, combined with their sexual compatibility, satisfied him in a way that no other relationship ever had.  Their reliance on each other, both in and out of the bedroom, led them to move in together by the beginning of October.  Since they'd been spending virtually every night together anyway, the adjustment required was surprisingly minimal.  As they settled into their new life together, Frank realized something startling.  

He was finally happy.

It had never occurred to him that he'd actually been unhappy before.  Yes, he'd admitted to Janet that his life on Transexual had its drawbacks, but he hadn't truly understood how serious those drawbacks had really been.  On the surface, he'd had it all…but he'd never looked more deeply than surface level at anything in his life.  The wealth, the status, the ever-available lovers eager to satisfy his every desire, had all been superficial pleasures.  Beneath it all, he'd been lonely.  His own personality flaws had condemned him to emotional isolation from virtually everyone, with the exception of his mother and a select few longtime friends.          

Matters had actually improved in the years since he'd been left behind on Earth.  His newfound ability and willingness to consider the feelings of others, in addition to his own, brought him many friendships that came to mean a great deal to him.  The knowledge that these people wanted nothing more from him than his companionship – that they weren't trying to increase their own importance through a relationship with him – added greatly to his sense of well-being.  But it was not until he allowed himself to fall in love that he truly understood how much he'd been missing.

Despite the strength of his relationship with Andrea, he could still see problems.  He'd shared more of his past with her than ever he had with anyone else, particularly his sexual compulsiveness with lovers of both sexes. The confession about his sexuality had not particularly surprised her, given what he'd already told her about his encounter with Janet.  He'd even confessed, in as casual a manner as possible, about his prior propensity for cross-dressing.  Her response, again, was to take the news in stride.  Her primary reaction was a wry comment that he was probably better-looking than she in full drag.

In spite of those reactions, he still couldn't begin to imagine telling her he was an alien.  He knew Earthlings enjoyed science fiction films featuring creatures from outer space (mainly malevolent and hideously ugly, he couldn't help but notice), but they displayed remarkably little ability to seriously consider the potential for intelligent life on other planets, or that aliens might actually be living among them.  Once or twice he'd attempted to start a conversation with Andrea about the possibility of other intelligent life "out there," but she hadn't demonstrated much eagerness to discuss the subject.  Apparently it was not a possibility she found particularly intriguing, much to his dismay.

Somehow, someday, he'd have to tell her…but not yet.


	11. Girl Talk

Janet's love life did not yet show such promise.  She _did _manage to acquire a circle of friends through her classes, however.  Most were "typical" freshmen, i.e. 18 year olds.  However, she and her friend Laurie also joined a club for "nontraditional" students, a euphemism that mainly referred to older students who did not arrive for their undergraduate studies directly from high school.  There she met students of varying ages, most of whom were actually older than Laurie and her.  While the two of them did not become particularly close friends with anyone else in the club, it was still tremendously comforting to spend time with fellow undergraduate students who had life experience beyond high school.

As Janet could have predicted on the first day of classes, it was with Laurie that she forged her closest and most important friendship.  Although they only shared one class, they saw each other daily.  They would have lunch together, or meet for a drink at one of the local student hangouts after classes were over, or have pizza delivered to one of their apartments.  During those times, they would talk about anything and everything…their classes, their fellow students, their failed marriages, their plans for the future…and men.

Unfortunately for them, most of their conversations about men centered around the fact that neither had one.  While they weren't desperate for male companionship, they had to concede that life without men had its…frustrations.

Janet tried to look on the bright side.  "Well, for what it's worth, while I was married I _did_ have a man, and I was _still _frustrated.  At least now I don't have the stress of dealing with a man who couldn't satisfy me."

Laurie looked sympathetic.  "Was marriage to Brad _always _that bad?"

Janet sighed.  "Yeah, it was.  Brad changed so much after we got married.  If he'd stayed the same guy he was before the wedding, we might have been able to work things out.  He probably wouldn't have ever been great in bed, but if he'd been better _outside _of it I would have been a lot more forgiving.  I really did love him.  Actually, I still love the man he used to be…I just fell out of love with the man he was while we were married."

"Do you have any idea why he changed so much?"

Janet was silent for a moment.  How much did she want to admit to Laurie?  Finally, she answered.

"Well, I had a one-night stand before we got married, and he couldn't deal with it."  Never mind that Brad had a one-night stand with the same man…that was beside the point.

Laurie was thunderstruck.  "You're kidding!  I never would have guessed you'd do something like that."

Janet smiled tiredly.  "That makes two of us.  Let's just say the man I was with was _very _persuasive."

Laurie grinned mischievously.  "Was he good?"

Janet chuckled wryly.  "He wasn't 'good'…he was incredible.  Which, naturally, made Brad seem even worse, once I slept with him."

"So why was it just a one-night stand?  Why didn't you stay with him?"

Janet shook her head.  "He wasn't someone to have a relationship with…he was someone to have sex with.  You know, phenomenal in bed, and pretty awful outside of it.  He was the exact opposite of the way Brad was…or the way Brad would have been, if he hadn't undergone that personality transplant."

Laurie grimaced.  "Why is it so damn hard to find a man who's at least decent both in _and_ out of bed?"  She paused.  "Have you seen that guy at all since you slept with him?"

_Yes, three afternoons a week._  No, she couldn't tell even Laurie that her erstwhile lover was now one of her professors.  "Yeah, I've seen him around.  To be fair, he's changed a lot since I was with him.  Of course, it's another woman who's getting the benefit of his reform."

Laurie rolled her eyes.  "Life can be _so _unfair."  She looked at Janet curiously.  "Have you seen Brad since you divorced him?"

"No.  And since all our friends sided with him in the divorce, I haven't even heard how he's doing.  I do hope he's okay…even though he was a jerk while we were married, I know deep down he's still a good guy." 

Laurie looked determined.  "Never mind that.  This semester is almost over, but I think we should make a pledge that by the end of _next_ semester, we'll both have someone.  C'mon, two beautiful, smart women like us…the men should be lining up for their chance.  What do you say?"

Janet smiled.  "It sounds like a worthy goal to me."            


	12. An Unexpected Link to Home

Although students may never give it a thought, the end of a semester is stressful for their instructors, too.  With December's arrival, free time was becoming virtually nonexistent for both Frank and Andrea.  Between grading class projects, putting the finishing touches on final exams, scheduling review sessions, and extending their office hours to accommodate their increasingly anxious students - all while maintaining their regular teaching schedules - they found themselves spending very little time together. 

Not surprisingly, this state of affairs was a source of considerable frustration for both of them.  One morning, as they were bolting down breakfast in preparation for another long day on campus, Andrea put her foot down.

"Frank, this is ridiculous.  We're living together, but lately I'm spending more time with the Xerox machine repairman than I am with you…and let me tell you, he isn't _nearly _as sexy."

Frank laughed ruefully.  "Things _have _gotten more than a bit out of hand, haven't they?  I never remember being so busy at semester end.  Or maybe I _was_, but it didn't matter to me as much."  He looked at her and sighed.  "I've been missing you dreadfully."

"All right, so what do you propose we do about it?"

He was silent for a moment.  "Well, the weekend is coming up.  My proposal is that we vow to entirely forget about the College of Denton all day on Saturday.  We take the phone off the hook, we hide our briefcases in the back of the closet, we refuse to answer the door, and we just concentrate on each other.  The world won't come to an end if we ignore academia for one day."

She smiled seductively.  Getting up, she came over to his chair, sat on his lap, and gave him a kiss that held the promise of a most enjoyable Saturday.  "The weekend can't get here quickly enough."

The speed may have left something to be desired, but eventually the weekend _did _arrive.  Saturday dawned bright and sunny, but Frank and Andrea couldn't have cared less about the beauty of the weather.  The day turned into a long, torrid sexual marathon, both desperate to make up for all the nights the demands of their jobs left them too exhausted to do anything but fall into a coma-like slumber.

It wasn't until early evening that they took a break, stumbling out to the kitchen in search of something to eat.  Despite all the energy they'd expended throughout the course of the day, neither was particularly hungry.  They decided to just fix a big bowl of popcorn, pour a couple of glasses of wine, and settle in front of the television for some mindless relaxation before returning to the bedroom.

Looking through the TV Guide, Frank started to laugh.  "I think I've found the perfect thing, if we're looking for something entirely without any redeeming cultural or intellectual value.  Sylvester Stallone is starring in a remake of "It's a Wonderful Life".  It's ideal - an entirely unnecessary project, starring the most eminently inappropriate person imaginable.  This should fall into the "it's so bad, it's good" category." 

Well, he was half right.  After about twenty minutes, the physical demands of the day, the wine, the comfort of the sofa, and the complete inanity of the project combined to lull both of them into a stupor.  Frank roused himself enough to ask, "Hasn't anything _happened_ yet?  I swear this movie makes a line at the Department of Motor Vehicles look like an Olympic sprint."

Andrea murmured, "Yeah.  Morphia slow."

Suddenly Frank was wide awake.  He looked at her in complete shock.  "_What did you say?  Where did you hear that expression?"_

Now Andrea was wide awake as well.  She paled, and stared at him mutely for a long moment.  Finally, she spoke.

"I wasn't going to tell you until after the end of the semester, but obviously I have to tell you now."  She took a deep breath, and continued.  "I know who you really are, Frank, and I know where you're from.  I know, because…I'm from there, too."

Anger, elation, and confusion fought for control in Frank's mind.  For the moment, anger won out.

"Why in the name of all that is holy didn't you _tell me?  Why are you here at all?  Is this your idea of a game?  Or were you sent to finish what Riff Raff and Magenta started?"_

Andrea was horrified.  She tentatively reached out to touch him, but drew back when she saw the fury blazing in his eyes.  "No, I swear, this isn't a game.  And you _surely can't believe I'd ever do anything to hurt you.  I was sent to Earth by your mother, for a dual purpose."_

"My _mother sent you?  For a 'dual purpose'?  What the hell does __that mean?"_

"Look, let me start at the beginning."

Frank was reminded of an earlier conversation, with another woman who figured prominently in his life.  "Yes, that's always a good place to start."

She nodded.  "Okay.  When Riff Raff and Magenta returned to Transexual – without you – they told your mother and the Court some ridiculous story that your experiment with Rocky had failed, and you were so distraught that you jumped off O'Brien Bridge into the Denton River.  They were unable to find your body, so that was why they had to come back without you."

Frank snorted.  "That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life.  Of course, I'm sure they had a more plausible story planned, before they discovered my body was missing."

She grimaced at the comment.  "So my assumption was correct…they attacked you and left you for dead."

His expression was grim.  "Yes, I'm afraid so.  I'll admit I wasn't exactly a treat to work for, but I still maintain I did nothing to them to deserve a death sentence."

As his anger at her seemed to be fading, she again reached out, putting her hand on his shoulder.  "Frank, I'm so sorry.  If it's any consolation, your mother had them arrested, since they'd obviously been responsible for your disappearance. "

H smiled slightly.  "I must admit _that's a comforting notion."_

She gently squeezed his shoulder in response, then continued her story.  "Anyway, your mother was so devastated at the news of your death that she didn't examine their story too closely at first.  However, as soon as the story was made public, the agents who'd been in the house that night came forward to refute their claim – that quite the opposite of being a failure, your work with Rocky was a rousing success.  Even before getting that confirmation, she was beginning to doubt what Riff Raff and Magenta had told her.  She may not be a scientist, but she knew that even if the experiment _had failed, you would have been disappointed, but you'd have just gone back to work to try to find the problem.  She remembered something you'd told her years ago, that with science the journey to solve a mystery is as important as actually discovering the solution.  Plus, she realized that suicide was entirely uncharacteristic of you."_

"Indeed."

"So she decided to hire me.  I'm a private investigator, you see.  She wanted to send me to Earth, so I could find out what happened to you, and if you were still alive."

"Okay, that's _one purpose.  What's the second?"_

She looked embarrassed.  "Well, before I left, I spent quite a bit of time with your mother.  She was giving me information about you, to help me in my search.  As we spent more time together, we actually became quite close.  She ended up deciding I'd be the perfect lover for you."

Frank stared at her in astonishment.  "Not that I can fault my mother's taste, mind you, but she _wanted us to fall in love?  That was the second purpose?"_

Andrea was amused.  "Yes.  That was why I didn't tell you my true identity to begin with.  Your mother and I decided that it might influence you too much, if you knew I was actually a Transylvanian.  If you _were to fall in love with me, she wanted to be sure it was __me you loved, and not just the fact that I was a link to home for you.  The idea was for us to use this semester to build a relationship."  She smiled fondly at him.  "Which we've done."_

Frank couldn't help but smile back at her.  "Unbelievable.  But what would have happened if we'd met, and there had been absolutely no chemistry between us?"

"I would have just told you the whole truth that night.  However, that obviously wasn't the case."  She shifted her position on the couch so that she was directly facing him.  "I've been here at the College of Denton since the summer, and was actually able to verify that you were alive quite quickly, since you'd continued teaching here after Riff Raff and Magenta left.  I used the summer semester to become as familiar as possible with Earth, so that I'd be prepared when I met you at the start of _this semester.  I daresay it worked out beautifully."_

In spite of himself, Frank was fascinated.  "How did you manage to get the professorship?  You didn't have time to go through the whole educational process, like I did.  And even at that, I needed some help from a Transylvanian agent to get started."

"Fortunately for me, when the agents left Earth to return to Transexual, they didn't leave empty-handed.  Those that worked in strategic locations – the ones with access to the creation of things like school transcripts and birth certificates – were given instructions to create documents with very specific information to bring back with them.  I had a choice of any number of people to become, with the paperwork already prepared for me.  I chose "Andrea Spencer" partially because my real name is Andromeda, partially because the age was right, and partially because I've always enjoyed literature of all kinds.  One of the returning agents had been an English literature professor during his own time on Earth, and he gave me some intensive tutoring on what I'd need to know.  I'm essentially using his curriculum, although I've since done a lot of reading and research on my own to expand my horizons, so to speak."

Frank shook his head admiringly.  "You've done a phenomenal job, you know.  The range of topics you can discuss intelligently is astounding, especially considering you arrived so recently.  For all the time we've spent together, I never once suspected you weren't exactly who you claimed to be."

She laughed.  "Thank you.  You scared me to death the night we met, you know.  I felt fairly secure when we were discussing Shakespeare, although it was clear I'd have to be at the top of my game to stay ahead of you.  But when you started bringing up all those other subjects, I was sure I'd betray my ignorance.  I guess I knew just barely enough to sound more knowledgeable than I really was."

Her smile became more pensive.  "Your intelligence wasn't the only thing that scared me that night, though.  I knew enough about you to suspect I'd be attracted to you, but I was totally unprepared for how incredibly intense that attraction turned out to be.  If you hadn't been attracted to me, too, I'd have been devastated.  I've always been a bit of a loner… my emotional state has never before been so completely dependent on how someone else feels about me.  I'm not used to being so…vulnerable.  The longer we're together, the more I need you, and the more vulnerable I feel.  How can a relationship make a person feel so strong and so weak at the same time?"

Frank was moved by the emotion behind her question.  He reached out, brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes, and kissed her gently on the forehead.  "I can't precisely answer that question, but I do know one thing…it takes a lot more strength to make yourself vulnerable for the love of someone than it does to keep a wall up to protect yourself.  Until I met you, I had it all wrong.  I thought I was strong because I never let anyone get close enough to be able to hurt me.  Now I realize I was just being a coward.  You have the power to completely destroy me, but loving you enough to enable me to say that has made me feel stronger than I ever have."

Andrea looked deeply into his eyes, tears streaming from her own.  She wanted to say something, but for once words completely failed her.  Frank gently wiped the tears from her face, as she rubbed her cheek against his caressing hand like a purring kitten.  Without saying a word, she climbed onto his lap, straddling him.  As she slipped her hands beneath his robe to stroke his bare skin, she leaned down to kiss him.  He responded by pushing her own robe off her shoulders, running his hands over her naked body in a slow, sensual massage as she moaned with pleasure.  Sylvester Stallone, emoting his heart out, lay forgotten in the background as their bodies intertwined in a joyous and tender celebration of shared love, vulnerability and trust.

Frank's mother had been right all along.  


	13. Barroom Blitz

**Writer's comment:  Thanks for the additional feedback.  I feel rather uncomfortable about posting such a long story – there's still quite a bit to go! – but it's only fair to continue as long as there's somebody still reading it.**

Finally, the last day of classes for the semester was over.  Frank and Andrea had arranged to meet a small group of their colleagues for some celebratory drinks at the Denton Arms, a cozy bar about two miles from campus.  Despite a temperature hovering around 30 degrees, Frank decided to walk to the bar, in hopes that the brisk temperature and the exercise would help him think.

Andrea's revelation had stunned him, although in retrospect he realized it made perfect sense.  Surely some part of his subconscious mind had recognized her as one of his own people; he doubted he could ever achieve such a bond with any Earthling, no matter how attractive, charming and intelligent.  It also made her nonchalance with regard to his sexuality and transvestism much more understandable, as neither propensity would elicit so much as a raised eyebrow on Transexual. 

He thought back to the conversation with his mother that had taken place Saturday night, via the audio transducer Andrea had in her possession.  Although normally Queen Electra was the most refined and self-contained of women, she had been unable to hide her emotions upon hearing his voice.

"My dear, when I was informed of your death, it was as if the most important part of me died with you.  Words cannot possibly express how much it means to have you back.  It is nothing short of a miracle."  She paused, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to conquer her composure.  "I will be eternally grateful to Andromeda for finding you."

Frank was having trouble maintaining his own composure.  "The most difficult aspect of my exile here on Earth has been the knowledge that you believed me dead.  Knowing you were in pain was a constant source of heartache for me.  And if we are speaking of eternal gratitude, you certainly have mine for bringing Andrea…er, Andromeda into my life.  She is precious beyond all measure.  I can no longer imagine life without her."

He could practically see his mother's delighted smile.  "I knew that young woman was something special.  I'm so very pleased you agree with me."

They ended up speaking for over an hour, filling each other in on what had happened in their lives over the past two years.  Before ending the conversation, his mother had one rather startling bit of news for him.

"I'm sure Andromeda has informed you Riff Raff and Magenta are now in custody.  Since only you know exactly what happened the night they departed for Transexual, I thought it only fitting that you be the one to pass sentence on them once you return."

Frank was taken aback.  While on the one hand the prospect of revenge was highly appealing, he now felt more responsibility to be fair than he would have two years ago.  The knowledge he now held their lives in his hands was simultaneously exhilarating, sobering, and a bit frightening.  "Thank you for telling me.  I will give the matter all due consideration."

His thoughts were brought back to the present, as he found himself outside the Denton Arms.  He entered, and found he was the first of his group to arrive.  He decided to order a beer and sit at the bar until the others showed up.

"A bottle of Budweiser, please."

A young man, with dark hair and glasses, was sitting a few seats down from Frank, moodily nursing a gin and tonic.  At the sound of Frank's voice, he looked up sharply.  His eyes widened in shock.  He got up and walked over to Frank.

"You!"  He sounded remarkably like he had one certain night two years before, upon discovering an unexpected guest in his bedroom.

"Brad!"  Frank was equally shocked, not to mention more than a little dismayed.  He suspected he was about to take part in a highly unpleasant conversation.  Why hadn't he ordered a glass of straight whiskey when he'd had the chance?

Brad glared at him.  "I thought you were dead.  What the hell are you doing here?"

"Shut up!" hissed Frank.  He grabbed his beer and dragged Brad to a table at the back of the bar.  

The two of them settled down at the small table, staring at each other in wary silence.  Finally, Frank spoke.

"I'm sure the past two years haven't been easy for you.  I'm terribly sorry for the part I played in that."

Brad looked at him bitterly.  "You completely destroyed my life, and all you can say is you're sorry?  That's the best you can do?"

Frank sighed.  That was the kind of reaction he'd been expecting.  "I don't know what else I _can do.  I can't undo the past.  For what it's worth, the events of that night had a profound effect on my life, as well.  I've come to very much regret the way I treated people, including you and Janet.  I was completely wrong to do what I did to the two of you.  That being said…I don't know that assigning complete blame to __me for the way your life has turned out is a particularly constructive attitude."_

"And what exactly does _that mean?"_

Frank looked him straight in the eye.  "It means that you might have been able to save your relationship with Janet, had you responded differently to what happened."

Brad froze.  "What would _you know about it?"_

Frank's reply was as matter-of-fact as he could make it.  "I'm a professor now, Brad.  I teach various science courses at the College of Denton.  Janet is a student in my freshman chemistry class."

From the look on Brad's face, Frank wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming out of his ears.  "And I suppose you took the opportunity to turn her into some sort of sex slave.  She's always been obsessed with you."

Frank fought to control his temper.  "I've done no such thing.  There's absolutely nothing improper about my relationship with Janet.  She's my student, and nothing more.  However, when she walked into the first class and saw me, she was obviously more than a bit surprised by my apparent resurrection.  We had a long talk about it that night."  He paused to take a badly needed drink from his bottle of beer.  "During the course of the conversation, the subject of your marriage came up."

For a moment, Brad seemed almost afraid to respond.  All he could bring himself to say was "And…?"

Frank chose his words carefully.  "And Janet noted that you had become intent on controlling every aspect of your lives together, which is something she simply couldn't accept.  She believed it indicated you hadn't been able to come to terms with what happened that night.  I received the distinct impression she might have stayed with you, had you not changed so dramatically."

Brad's knee-jerk reaction was denial.  "How dare you try to push the blame off on me.  There's no way Janet would have stayed with me…after she'd been with you, she decided I wasn't sexy enough for her."

Frank looked at Brad unhappily.  The issue of Brad's sexual prowess, or lack thereof, was something he'd sorely wanted to avoid addressing.  Apparently he wasn't going to be so lucky.

"Brad, you don't understand.  What upset Janet wasn't that you weren't 'sexy enough'.  She was upset because you weren't willing to accept any suggestions on how to improve.  If you'd made more of an effort, she would have been considerably more patient.  She _wanted the relationship to work…she wouldn't have married you if she didn't."_

That final comment stopped Brad in his tracks.  As much as he hated to admit it, Frank's words made sense.  Was it possible that, in the final analysis, he really _was to blame for the failure of his relationship with Janet?  It had been so easy to lay all the blame at Frank's doorstep, and see himself as the innocent victim…no painful self-analysis required.  He should have realized that life is seldom so simple._

When he finally answered Frank, his voice was quiet.  "Maybe you're right."  He shook his head.  "I was trying to be forceful and dynamic – to be more like you, I guess.  I thought that was what she wanted, but instead I ended up pushing her away.  How could I have been so stupid?"

Frank smiled and shrugged his shoulders.  "As someone who's been completely indifferent about relationships virtually his entire life, I'm in no position to answer you.  But it's a good sign you recognize that your approach to your relationship with her was counter-productive."

Brad stared down at the table.  "Not that it does me much good now.  I've lost her forever.  She's obviously starting a whole new life without me."      

Frank wondered what his response should be.  As far as he could tell, Janet wasn't dating anyone.  Should he tell that to Brad?  He'd already involved himself in Brad and Janet's relationship once, with disastrous results.  He told himself it was different this time…that he was trying to be helpful, not harmful.  What was the worst that could happen?

He decided not to dwell on that question too much.

"The final exam for Janet's chemistry class is next Thursday afternoon.  If I can get her here afterward…say around 5:00…could you be here?  Would you want to talk to her?  I can't say what would happen, but I'm sure it would mean a lot to her to hear what you just told me." 

A ray of hope flashed across Brad's face.  "Really?  You'd do that?"

Frank smiled.  "Well, it's really the least I can do.  So we're on?"

"You bet we are!"  He was silent a moment.  "By the way…why _are you alive?"_

Frank sighed.  Not again….


	14. Tying Up Loose Ends

For Frank and Andrea, exam week coincided with their efforts to tie up loose ends in preparation for their return to Transexual.  Between trips to campus to administer and grade final exams, they supervised the dismantling of their entire lives on Earth…selling their furniture, cars and anything else of value, then going through the rest of their possessions in order to determine what to discard, what to donate to the Salvation Army, and what to bring to Transexual with them. 

By Thursday morning, the apartment was virtually empty, except for their bed and the personal effects they were planning to keep.  Frank sat on the floor in the barren living room, ostensibly grading a pile of biochemistry exams, but actually lost in thought.  Although he was looking forward to seeing his home planet and loved ones again, there was a sad finality to the emptiness of his surroundings.  Certainly not all his time on Earth had been happy; however, the happiest times of his life had been spent here.  Fortunately, the person most responsible for that happiness would be accompanying him back home.

Frank's thoughts were interrupted by Andrea, as she walked into the room with her hairbrush in one hand and her briefcase in the other.  

"Did you talk to the landlord?"

Frank nodded.  "Yes.  He was very understanding, once he heard my sob story of needing to return to England unexpectedly to take care of my sick mother.  He didn't even penalize us for breaking the lease."  He smiled.  "He told me how sorry he was to be losing such a nice young couple.  If he only knew!"

Andrea looked at him with mock indignation.  "Well, we _are a nice young couple!"_

He grinned.  "That may be so, but somehow I think the 'alien' thing would override the 'nice young couple' thing."

Andrea laughed.  "I can't disagree with that.  By the way, when are you planning to submit your resignation letter?"

Frank shrugged.  "Tomorrow, I suppose.  I'll have to go to campus anyway to turn in the grades for today's exams – and probably to finish grading them, as far as that goes.  I very much doubt I'll finish grading this afternoon's exams tonight.".

"Would you mind submitting mine tomorrow, too?  I haven't written it yet, and I don't think I'll have a chance to do it while I'm there.  I'm hoping to get this morning's exams graded before I have to leave to meet you at the Denton Arms, so I won't have to go back to campus again tomorrow."

"Certainly.  Just leave it to me."

She cocked her head and looked at him.  "Speaking of our plans for the evening…are you sure it's a good idea to trick Janet into an encounter with Brad?  Do you really think it's smart to involve yourself in their relationship again?

Frank was silent as he considered his response.  "Perhaps it isn't.  However, I should think the downside risk is fairly minimal, since they're already completely estranged.  Besides, it isn't as if Janet _hates Brad.  She was disenchanted with his behavior during their marriage, but I tend to believe she still has some warm feelings for him.  The only real danger is that Brad will expect too much out of this meeting."_

Andrea walked over to Frank, knelt down, and kissed him.  "Hopefully you're right.  I'm off.  What time do you want me to meet you?

"I told Brad to be there around 5:00, so that would be a good time for you to show up, as well.  I certainly don't plan to stay at the table with Brad and Janet as they have their little heart to heart chat."

She laughed.  "Well, that's understandable.  Okay, I'll see you then."

After Andrea left, Frank tried to get back to work on the exams.  However, his own words were coming back to haunt him.  The more he thought about it, the more he feared Brad would, indeed, pin too many hopes on this encounter.

Oh, well, it was too late to turn back now.  Brad was, well, a big boy.  It was time for him to act like one.         


	15. Examinations and Revelations

Janet walked into the chemistry classroom and took her now customary seat in the front row.  Although she was nervous, she actually felt surprisingly well prepared.  Between Frank's review sessions and her own outside work, she expected her final exam grade to reflect all the effort she'd put into her studies throughout the semester.

The class was largely assembled.  A buzz of nervous conversation could be heard throughout the room, which subsided quickly when Frank entered.

He looked around the classroom full of anxious faces, and smiled reassuringly.

"There's no need to look so worried.  I wouldn't say the exam is _easy.  However, it __is very straightforward.  I haven't attempted to trip you up with trick questions.  If you have a firm grasp of the material, which the vast majority of you have demonstrated throughout the semester, you should have no problem at all."_

He started handing out the exams.  "Not only do I want to wish everyone luck with the exam, I want to wish you luck with the rest of your college careers.  You've been a delightful group to teach.  Thank you for all the hard work and enthusiasm you put into the class."

One of the more outgoing students, Denise McCoy, spoke up.  "You aren't getting rid of me that easily, Dr. Furman.  I've signed up for your freshman biology class next semester!"

There was some laughter, and several others echoed Denise's statement.  At least half the class had signed up to take Frank's biology class…Janet among them.

_Oh, dear.  It hadn't occurred to him that so many of the students would follow him to the biology class.  He'd figured they would just be grateful to have the college's freshman science requirement behind them._

He went back up to the front of the room, and sat on the edge of his desk.  "I'm terribly flattered.  However, I'm afraid I have some bad news.  A family emergency has come up, and I have to return home.  Right now it's looking highly unlikely I'll be back next semester."

Everyone in the class was shocked, but no one more than Janet.  She alone knew where "home" really was for Frank.  Had he _really found a way to get back to Transexual, or was it just an excuse for him to leave Denton?  She'd already been pleased that he'd invited her for drinks after the exam; now she was even happier.  She was dying to get the whole story from him._

Frank held up his hand to stem the outpouring of protests flowing around the room.  "Settle down, everyone.  Right now you have considerably more pressing business than my presence, or lack thereof, on this campus next semester.  I _do, however, want to urge you not to be too hasty to drop the biology class.  There are a number of highly enthusiastic graduate students who teach that course, and I know you'll enjoy working with any of them.  Beyond that, I would hope your enjoyment of __this class went beyond who taught it, to an enjoyment of the subject matter itself.  I wouldn't feel like much of a success if you weren't walking out of this course with more of an appreciation for the sciences than you had when you first walked into it."  _

He looked at everyone and smiled.  "Just concentrate on the exam, and let next semester take care of itself."


	16. Telling Transylvanian Tales

Janet finished the exam with almost 40 minutes to spare.  Frank had been right; the exam was challenging, but fair.  After rechecking her answers to make sure she hadn't made any careless mistakes, she gathered her belongings and approached Frank to turn in the test paper.

Frank looked up from the pile of exams he was grading.  He took the exam from her and smiled.  "Meet me in my office around 4:30.  The door is locked, so if you get there before me, just ask the department secretary to let you in.  I've given her your name."

 Janet nodded.  "Sure thing.  I'll see you then."

She walked out and looked at her watch.  3:20.  She didn't want to sit in his office for over an hour, so she headed to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee.  She settled down at a quiet corner table.  Since the chemistry exam was her last for the semester, she didn't need to crack open yet another textbook while she sipped her coffee.  She was grateful for the opportunity to just sit and think.

It had been a wonderful semester.  The nervous, insecure girl from the beginning of the semester had developed into a radiant, self-confident young woman by the semester's end.  The feeling was oddly reminiscent of the sensation she'd had performing in Frank's floorshow, basking in the discovery of her own sexual power.  Frank had increased her self-confidence then…and during the course of the semester he'd played an important role in helping her increase her self-confidence in an entirely different way.

The night he'd visited her in her apartment felt as if it had taken place in an entirely different lifetime.  She remembered how humiliated she'd been when he rejected her blatant attempt at seduction, but now she realized how fortunate she was that he hadn't given in to her desire.  Had she become sexually involved with him, she knew she would have lost sight of her goals in an obsession with physical pleasure, instead of focusing on her schoolwork and on meeting new people.  She couldn't pretend to be happy about her long erotic dry spell, but she knew her life overall was much richer than it would have been had she become Frank's lover…particularly since he wouldn't have been in love with her, and certainly wouldn't have been faithful to her.  

Although she hadn't believed him at the time, he was absolutely right when he told her he'd be more useful to her as a professor than as a lover.  As a lover, he would have thrown her entire life completely out of balance.  However, as a professor, he helped her find her way in this challenging new environment.  She realized how much she had come to rely on his guidance and advice, both of which she would sorely miss with his absence next semester.

Which reminded her…she absolutely _had to find out what his plans were.  She looked at her watch, and saw it was already 4:05.  She'd just go ahead to his office, and wait for him there.When she arrived at his office, she found she had indeed gotten there ahead of him.  She approached the department secretary, a sweet older woman named Mrs. Beasley, who always gave Janet a cheery greeting each time she came to see Frank._

"Excuse me, ma'am.  Dr. Furman told me to ask for you if I arrived at his office before he did, and you'd let me in.  I'm Janet Weiss."

"Oh, certainly, dear.  Let me grab my keys."  She opened her desk drawer, and pulled out a large key ring.  "Just follow me."

They made their way down the hallway.  Mrs. Beasley looked over at Janet and smiled.  "How did your chemistry exam go?"

"Well, I think.  Dr. Furman is a wonderful teacher."

Mrs. Beasley nodded knowingly.  "He must be.  He's very popular with the students.  His office hours are far busier than anyone else's.  And he's a nice young man, too.  Always so polite.  His girlfriend is the same way.  Just lovely."

Janet's interest was instantly piqued.  "Oh?  He's dating someone regularly?"

Mrs. Beasley blushed, and brought her hand up to her mouth.  "Oh, dear.  It wasn't my place to say anything.  I shouldn't be talking about a professor's personal life."

Oh, well.  Apparently she wasn't going to get any more information from Mrs. Beasley.  "Don't worry, ma'am.  I won't say anything to him."

The older woman smiled in relief.  "Thank you so much, dear.  I really should be more careful, especially where he's concerned.  So many of the students, especially the young ladies, exhibit more interest in him than they really should."

By this time they were at Frank's office.  Mrs. Beasley unlocked the door.  "There you are.  You have a lovely vacation now."

"Thank you, ma'am.  You, too."

Janet entered the office and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Frank's desk.  She thought about Mrs. Beasley's comment.  Was Frank's girlfriend the "friend" he'd mentioned at the beginning of the semester?  Had that relationship actually developed into something serious?  From her vantage point, she saw something on the desk she'd never noticed before…something that looked like the back of a framed photograph.  She got up and walked around behind the desk.  It was, indeed, a photograph, apparently taken at a party, of Frank with his arm around the waist of a stunning, auburn-haired young woman, both beaming into the camera's lens.  She picked up the photograph, examining the woman more closely.  It wasn't difficult to see why Frank would be attracted to her.  Her thick, glossy hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, framing a classically beautiful, oval-shaped face.  Her eyes were bright blue, and she was wearing a dress, the same shade of blue as her eyes, that clung to her perfect figure in all the right places.  Janet sighed.  If this _was the woman Frank had met at the beginning of the semester, it was no wonder he'd turned Janet down.  And, apparently, she was not only beautiful, but nice as well.  Sometimes life just isn't fair._

Unfortunately for Janet, Frank chose that moment to enter his office.  "Hello, Janet."  He looked amused.

She hastily placed the photograph back on his desk, and looked guiltily at him.  "Hi, Frank.  Sorry to be so nosy."

He smiled and shrugged.  "No need to apologize.  If I objected to people seeing the picture, I wouldn't have it on my desk."

She made her way back to her chair, as he walked over to his desk and deposited his briefcase on it.  He sat down, and leaned back wearily.  "It's been quite a week.  I'm delighted that it's almost over."

Janet laughed wryly.  "I promise you, I feel the exact same way."  She paused a moment.  "By the way…she's really beautiful."

For a second he looked confused, until his eyes fell on the photograph.  "Andrea?  Yes, she is.  Terribly intelligent, as well.  She teaches English literature here."

_As if "gorgeous" and "nice" weren't enough…she has to be smart, too!  "Isn't she the woman you'd just met at the beginning of the semester?"_

He nodded.  "Yes.  We've been together ever since."

"Are you…in love with her?  The last time I asked you, you said it was too soon to tell."

Frank raised his eyebrows, and was silent for a moment.  Then he apparently decided to answer.  "Yes, I'm very much in love with her."

Now Janet was getting closer to asking what she really wanted to know.  "If you're so in love with her, how can you leave?  Are you really going _home?"_

Frank glanced at the door, to make sure it was completely closed.  He then looked squarely at Janet.  His voice had an edge to it.  "You _do understand what I'm about to tell you is completely confidential?  You are __never to repeat it to anyone.  Do I make myself clear?"_

Janet nodded firmly.  "Yes, of course."

"Okay."  He paused, apparently deciding how much he wanted to tell Janet.  "As it turned out, my initial encounter with Andrea was not, shall we say, a 'chance meeting.'  She was sent from Transylvania to Earth by my mother to find out what had actually happened to me."

Janet stared at him in astonishment.  "She's _Transylvanian?"_

He laughed softly.  "I see your reaction was much like mine.  I didn't find out who she really was until almost the end of the semester.  So, to get to the point, I _will be returning to Transexual, and I __won't have to leave her behind to do it.  She's the reason I'm able to go back."_

Janet didn't know what to say.  "Well…congratulations!  You must be excited about going back home."

Frank looked pensive.  "Yes, I suppose so.  Of course I'm very much looking forward to seeing my mother again, as well as some close friends.  But I must admit to being a bit apprehensive, as well."

Janet was confused.  "Apprehensive?  Why?"

He shrugged.  "Well, for one thing, one of my first duties will be to pass sentence on Riff Raff and Magenta for what they did to me.  I'm not particularly looking forward to seeing them again.  The thought of holding their lives in the palm of my hand isn't especially comforting, either.  It's an enormous responsibility, and I wonder if I'll have the strength of character to exercise it properly."  He sighed.  "In addition, I often wonder if Andrea realizes what life with me will be like for her on Transexual.  It's so much simpler here.  Once we're back there, our relationship will be public property.  It will be a difficult adjustment for someone who didn't grow up in that kind of environment.  For that matter, it will probably be difficult for _me.  I've always had lovers, but never a real relationship I wanted to protect and nurture." _

Janet tried to comfort him.  "Now that you've learned how wonderful love is, I know you'll do everything you need to do in order to preserve it.  You won't allow yourself to fail at something so important."

He smiled and changed the subject.  "Thank you for your vote of confidence.  However, what I need to do _now is buy you a congratulatory drink at the Denton Arms.  I shouldn't be telling you this, but I've already graded your exam…and you earned a solid A, on both the exam and the course itself.  Well done."_

Janet grinned triumphantly.  "Thanks!  I do have to admit, though…I couldn't have done it without you."

"That may be so, but you'll _have to do it without me going forward – which I know you can do.  Don't make a liar out of me."_

"I won't…I swear."     


	17. Dammit, Janet...

By the time they got to the Denton Arms, it was around 4:45.  Frank escorted Janet to a table with a clear view of the door, contriving to seat her facing toward the interior of the bar.  "What can I get you?"

"A gin and tonic, please."

Hmmm…Brad's drink of choice as well.  Should he take that as a positive omen?  Well…probably not.

He returned to the table, bringing Janet's drink and a bottle of beer.  "Here's to the conclusion of a successful semester."

Janet smiled.  "I'll drink to that."

As they chatted, Frank surreptitiously kept an eye on the door.  First to arrive was Andrea.  She caught Frank's eye and smiled, then took a seat at a table at the back of the bar.  Within two minutes of Andrea's arrival, Brad walked in the door.  As soon as he ascertained that Brad had seen him, Frank got up.

"Janet, would you excuse me for a minute?  I just remembered a phone call I forgot to make this afternoon."

Brad watched Frank walk quickly to the back of the bar, where he joined a lovely young woman already seated at a secluded table out of Janet's line of sight.  He took a deep breath.  It was now or never.

He walked over and stood by Frank's vacated seat.  "Hi, Janet."

Janet looked at him, wide-eyed.  "Brad!  What are you doing here?"

"Well, it was kind of a tough day at work, so I thought I'd just pop in here and have a drink…you know, to unwind a little."

Janet looked at him narrowly.  Brad always was a lousy liar.  She suddenly realized Frank had set her up.  She wasn't sure whether to be angry or amused.  For the moment, she decided on "angry."

"You and Frank cooked up this little scheme, didn't you?  If you wanted to talk to me so badly, why didn't you just call me?  I don't appreciate being tricked."

Brad did his best to look confused by the accusation.  "What are you talking about?"

It was obviously the wrong tactic, as Janet was looking more annoyed by the minute.  "Don't lie to me.  You never did do it well."

Brad sat down in Frank's seat and looked at her pleadingly.  "Please don't be mad.  We weren't trying to trick you.  I just didn't know if you'd talk to me if I tried to call you.  This seemed like, well, a more low-pressure way of getting to talk to you."

She rolled her eyes.  "Brad, sometimes you can be really pathetic.  Why should I bother talking to you if you don't even have the nerve to approach me honestly?"

Brad developed enough backbone to look insulted.  "Well, after you left and I _did call to try to talk to you, you wouldn't talk to me.  Why should I think you'd talk to me now?"_

Janet snapped impatiently, "That was different."

"Why was it different?"

"Because you were trying to bully me into coming back to you, just like you bullied me during our whole marriage.  Or is it really _not different now?  Were you planning on trying to bully me again today?  If so, don't bother.  You couldn't do it then, and you certainly can't do it now."_

Brad glared at her.  "I wasn't planning on 'bullying' you now.  Hell, it wasn't my intention to bully you then.  I just wanted you to give me another chance, that's all."

"There was no sense in giving you another chance, because you didn't realize you'd done anything wrong.  Nothing would have changed.  I wasted enough time trying to make things work, while you refused to change your behavior at all.  I guess I was supposed to be the one to do all the changing, and accommodating, and compromising.  No way."

Brad sighed, and tried to get Janet to look him in the eye.  She refused, focusing her stare on a water mark on the table.

"Janet, look, you don't understand.  A big reason we ran into so much trouble was because I _did try to change.  I didn't think the real me was good enough for you anymore, so I tried to become assertive and powerful.  I didn't realize I was really being unreasonable and childish, the total opposite of what I'd intended.  I never meant to drive you away.  All I wanted was for you to respect me."_

She raised her eyes to look at him.  "You didn't think I respected you?"

"I still don't think you respected me.  After that night in the castle, I got the distinct impression you thought I was a complete wimp."  He paused for a moment, staring down at the table himself.  "And maybe you were right.  Not only did I fail to protect you from Frank, I actually let him seduce _me, too.  I just took it, like some kind of chump, when I found out you'd seduced Rocky."  He looked up again, with tears in his eyes.  "Let's face it, how __could you respect me?  After that night, I couldn't even respect __myself anymore.  And then when I realized you were comparing me with Frank in bed, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.  I just couldn't take it.  I felt like the world's biggest loser.  I guess I still do." _

Janet stared at him, frozen into appalled silence.  How could she have been so blind?  Of course she'd realized he was having trouble coping with the memories of that night in the castle, but she'd seen that as _his problem.  She'd utterly failed to consider how her own attitude had contributed to his insecurity.  He was absolutely right – she __hadn't respected him.  For all her professions of love for the "old" Brad, she realized that she'd been comparing his perceived weaknesses with her own newfound strength, and found him lacking.  And of course he was right that she'd been comparing his sexual performance with Frank's…and, in that case, saying she found him "lacking" would be the understatement of the century.  But what if the tables had been turned?  What if it had been Brad who'd found an extraordinary __female lover in the castle who'd totally bewitched him, whose performance Janet could never hope to live up to?  How would __she have reacted?_

Finally, she spoke.  Her voice was quiet.  "Brad, I owe you an apology.  All I could think about was how obnoxious your behavior was, and wonder why you'd changed from the gentle, sweet, considerate person you'd been before.  I never realized I'd driven you to that behavior by giving you the impression I no longer valued the qualities that had always made you special to me."  She looked up at the ceiling, trying to fight back tears.  "What's worse is you were absolutely right.  I was so overwhelmed by my sexual attraction to Frank that I started to see him as the 'perfect lover'- which may have been true enough if you never planned on getting out of bed.  It took me a ridiculously long time to realize that as sexually exciting as Frank was, he would have been an absolute disaster to have a relationship with."  She grimaced.  "You would think that would have been pretty obvious, based on everything that happened that night."

Brad looked at her intently.  "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I was wrong to have treated you the way I did.  I'm saying you were wrong to have continued acting like a jerk even after it became obvious it was making me unhappy.  And I'm saying we were both wrong to have not tried to have this conversation before our relationship was damaged beyond repair."

"Do you really think it's 'beyond repair'?  Couldn't we try to recapture what we had?"

Janet shook her head slowly.  "Things could never be the way they were.  I can't speak for you, but I know I'm a very different person now.  I want different things out of life.  Before, I just assumed I'd be a housewife and stay-at-home mother, and that was fine with me.  Now that wouldn't be enough.  I'm excited about going to college, and I want to prepare for a career.  I need a man who would be willing to support me in that.  You didn't even want me to keep that little secretarial job."

"Janet, I know I was wrong to make you quit working.  It was just my insecurity talking again.  I didn't want you to be independent…I figured if you had a job, you'd need me even less than you already did.  I promise I won't stand in your way if you want a career."

Janet sighed.  Brad was making this so very difficult.  "It isn't just the career.  I get the impression that you're really still the same person you were before that night in the castle.  I know I'm _not.  I just don't know that we're still compatible.  People change, and when they don't change at the same rate, or in complementary ways, the relationship just doesn't work anymore."_

Brad looked wounded.  "But how can we know whether or not we're compatible, if you aren't willing to give the relationship another try?  Are you saying it isn't even worth an attempt?"  He looked at her intently.  "The sex thing is still a problem, isn't it?  You want someone who's better in bed."

Janet closed her eyes.  He _had to bring that up.  "Well…to be honest, yes, I guess I do.  I need someone I have chemistry with…someone who can satisfy me.  Sex isn't everything in a relationship, but it __is important.  Even before that night, there was no real sexual chemistry between us.  We were more like best friends than lovers.  I was naïve enough to believe it would be different once we got married, but now I realize that wouldn't have been the case even without what happened in the castle.  It's just that, if it weren't for Frank, I might not have known what I was missing.  The problem is, now I __would know, and I don't think I can accept the prospect of a life without passion." _

Brad tried to fight the sense of desperation he was feeling.  "Janet, when you say I'm the same person now I was before that night in the castle, you're wrong.  The person I was then wouldn't have had the strength to even have this conversation with you.  But it wasn't what happened in the castle that changed me, it was our breakup.  Losing you was the most devastating thing that ever happened to me.  I'm willing to do whatever I need to do to make things right.  Try to remember that I was saving myself for marriage, just like you were.  If things had worked out the way they were supposed to, we could have learned about sex together.  But when you were seduced by a man with so much more experience and skill, suddenly you were _way ahead on the learning curve.  I wasn't ready to learn from you then, but I am now.  I can't promise that I'll ever be as good as Frank, but I know I can get better.  I want to do everything in my power to make you happy."_

He reached out and held one of her hands in both of his.  "You know, considering the way things are nowadays, sex isn't so hard to find.  But love…_true love...is.  Please don't be so quick to just throw it away.  I love you so much, Janet.  I've loved you for years, and I always will love you. Doesn't that count for anything?"_

Janet felt tears spring to her eyes.  How many people search their whole lives in hopes of hearing someone say what Brad just said to her?   "Of course it does.  But what happens if we try again, and it doesn't work?  I don't want to hurt you more than you've already been hurt."

Brad looked at her with the most determined expression she'd ever seen on his face.  "Let me worry about that.  Being with you is important enough to me that I'm willing to take that risk.  Don't walk away just to 'protect' me from my own emotions."

Janet looked into his eyes, and saw the love shining there.  It was impossible for her own heart to remain untouched.  She felt her anger and bitterness melt away, replaced by a warm, tender glow.  She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be with someone who truly loved her.  

Brad decided to seize the moment.  He leaned across the table, cupped Janet's face in his hands, and kissed her.  At first the kiss was soft and tentative, then became more passionate as he realized she wasn't pulling away.  Janet felt Brad's lips force her own apart, and his tongue enter and explore her mouth.  As she responded to his kiss, she became aware of a warm, tingling sensation coursing through her body.  To her shock, she recognized the feeling as desire.  There was hope for him yet!  

At last, they broke the kiss.  Brad saw the stunned expression on Janet's face, and couldn't help but laugh…a laugh of both amusement and triumph.  "Maybe I learned a thing or two from Frank myself."

Janet grinned.  "Maybe you did.  However, I'm afraid I'll need additional empirical evidence before I can confirm that hypothesis."

Brad stood up, smiling suggestively.  "I propose we continue this experiment at your apartment."

Janet stood up as well.  "First I need to say goodbye to Frank.  Is he still here?"

Brad nodded.  "Yes.  He's at a back table with some woman."

Janet's eyes brightened.  "A woman?  Does she have auburn hair?"

Brad frowned.  "Yes.  Why?"

"Oh, it's just that I'm dying to meet her.  She's been his girlfriend all semester, and he told me he's really in love with her."

Brad looked amazed.  "Frank?  In love with someone other than himself?  That's hard to believe."

"C'mon, you must have noticed he's changed.  If he hadn't, he certainly wouldn't have gone out of his way to arrange this little meeting for us."

Brad had to admit she had a point.  "Yeah, I guess you're right.  Okay, let's go over."

Approaching the back of the bar, they spotted Frank and his ravishing companion seated next to each other, obviously deep in conversation.  As they watched, Frank tenderly ran his fingers through the young woman's hair, pulled her close, and kissed her.  The kiss looked likely to last quite a while.

Brad stopped.  "Uh, maybe this isn't the best time to interrupt them.  Maybe we should just leave."  To be honest, while he appreciated Frank's help, he was far less interested in meeting Frank's lover than he was in being alone with Janet.

Janet, however, wasn't about to budge.  "No way.  This may be my only chance to meet her.  We won't stay long, I promise."

Brad was puzzled.  "Why might this be your only chance?"

Janet paused.  "I'll tell you later, if Frank says it's okay."

Before Brad had a chance to ask Janet what she meant, she'd approached Frank and Andrea, who had by then ended their kiss and resumed their conversation.

"Hi, Frank."

Frank looked up, his gaze moving from Janet's face to Brad's.  He smiled.  "Hello.  So how did it go?"

Janet did her best to feign annoyance.  "You had absolutely no right to trick me that way.  I _should be really angry at you."_

Frank's smile widened, and his eyes sparkled.  "But you're not."

Janet sighed in mock exasperation, then smiled back at him.  "No, I'm not.  Thank you for what you did.  Brad and I had a wonderful conversation, and we're going to give our relationship another try.  Hopefully we won't mess it up quite so badly this time around."

Frank laughed.  "I'm sure you'll be fine.  If nothing else, the past couple of years have taught you what _not to do."  _

He looked over at Andrea.  "Pardon my rudeness.  Janet Weiss, Brad Majors, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Andrea Spencer.  Andrea is aware of how we all…became acquainted."

Janet smiled and shook Andrea's hand.  "I'm so happy to meet you.  Frank has told me _all about you."_

Andrea, smiling, looked at Frank.  "Oh, he has, has he?"

Frank shrugged.  "I knew I could trust her.  She won't tell anyone else."

Janet asked, "What about Brad?"

He thought a moment, then nodded.  "Yes, you can tell Brad, but that's it."

Brad was looking totally bewildered.  "What are you talking about?"

Janet shook her head.  "I'll tell you when we get to my place."  She then looked at Frank.  "When will you be leaving?"

He, in turn, looked at Andrea.  "Saturday morning?"

She nodded.  "Yes, very early Saturday morning."

Janet pulled up a chair and sat down next to Frank.  "I'll really miss you.  Thank you so much for everything you did for me this semester…and also for what you _didn't do."_

Frank understood what she meant.  He smiled, and took her hand.  "You're welcome.  Thank _you for being so forgiving.  I caused you and Brad considerable heartache; it was very generous of both of you to look beyond that.  I hope everything works out well for you.  You both deserve to be happy."_

Janet felt her eyes fill with tears.  She stood up quickly, attempting to smile.  "I'm sure we will be.  I hope you and Andrea will be happy, too."  She looked down at him.  "Why is it so hard to say goodbye?"

Frank, too, stood up.  "Saying goodbye to friends is never easy.  And I _do consider you a friend."  He stepped over to her and hugged her warmly.  "Best of everything to you both."_

He then looked over at Brad and grinned.  "Congratulations, Brad.  It appears you managed to redeem yourself nicely in Janet's eyes.  Keep up the good work."

Brad smiled back, somewhat awkwardly.  "Uh, thanks.  I'll do my best."

Frank raised an eyebrow suggestively.  "I'm sure you will."  He hesitated, then held out his hand.  "Goodbye, Brad."

Brad reached out to shake Frank's hand, then stopped.  "Oh, what the hell."  He reached out and hugged Frank.  "Goodbye, Frank."

After Brad released him, Frank stepped back and looked at Brad and Janet.  "I'm sure you both have somewhere else you'd rather be.  I suggest you get going."

They laughed.  "Right."   They turned to leave.  Janet took one last look back.  "Take care of yourselves, okay?"

Frank and Andrea instinctively turned to each other.  Frank said, "Don't worry.  We'll be fine."

He looked deeply into Andrea's eyes.  "I'll make sure of it." 


	18. They're Going Home

**Writer's note:  The next phase of the story begins…

Friday passed in a flurry of activity.  While Frank finished his business on campus, Andrea packed their few remaining possessions and thoroughly cleaned the apartment - since the landlord wasn't charging them for breaking the lease, they wanted to leave everything in perfect order.  Now night had fallen, and Frank and Andrea were sitting on the floor in the living room of their soon-to-be-vacated apartment, empty except for a pile of boxes in the center of the room.

Frank restlessly looked at his watch.  "Just after midnight.  What time is the driver supposed to be here?  And how did he manage to get a vehicle to begin with?"

"When the remaining Transylvanian agents were ready to return to Transsexual, your mother sent a very large ship to transport them.  One thing they brought back with them was, of all things, a pickup truck…both because it was an interesting item of Earth memorabilia, and because it might come in handy one day - which it has.  As for the driver, I imagine he should be here any time now."

"Do you know where the ship will be?"

Andrea shook her head.  "Not exactly.  If it's the same place where I arrived, it will be in a field a few miles outside of Denton.  It's a nice, large clear area, surrounded by trees.  Plenty of room for the ship, but not likely to be spotted by anyone."

Frank nodded, then lapsed into silence.  Finally he got up and started pacing the room.

Andrea watched him with a combination of amusement and concern.  "Feeling nervous?"

Frank rolled his eyes and nodded.  "Isn't that absurd?  I can't believe I'm nervous about returning to the place where I was born and raised.  I suppose I've gotten so used to a completely different way of life that I'm not sure how I'll feel about the return to my _former life."_

Andrea stood up and put her arms around him.  "It's not absurd at all.  But remember, I'll be right there by your side."

He looked at her and sighed.  "That may be so, but I don't think you fully understand what you'll be facing.  I know you've seen the kind of public spotlight in which the royal family lives, but seeing it from the outside can't begin to prepare you for being in the midst of it yourself.  Trust me, you'll need every bit as much support as I…probably considerably more."

She pulled him close and kissed him lovingly.  "I'm sure you're right.  I'm also sure you'll be there for me, just as I'll be there for you.  I know it won't be easy, but we'll manage to pull each other through.  As long as I'm with you, I can face whatever gets thrown at me."

Frank smiled at her ruefully.  "Brave talk from a lady who's about to be tossed to the jackals of the press."

Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door.  Frank opened it to find a short, stocky young man, who looked barely able to contain his excitement.

The man bowed.  "Your Highness, please accept greetings and salutations from your most humble servant.  My name is Homer, and it is my distinct honor and privilege to transport you to the ship that will bring you back to the people who so anxiously await your return."

_Oh, good lord, please make him shut up!  Frank hurriedly pulled him into the apartment and closed the door, before someone passing by managed to hear him.  "That's lovely.  Homer, I'd like you to meet Andromeda.  I'm sure you've been informed she will be traveling with me."_

The young man bowed again.  "Certainly.  Her Majesty the Queen had told me a beautiful young lady would be accompanying the Prince on his voyage.  I am most delighted to make your acquaintance."

Andrea began to see why Frank was less than enthused to be returning to the life of a royal.  "I'm pleased to meet you too, Homer.  Will you help us carry the boxes down to the truck?"

Homer looked shocked.  "With all due respect, ma'am, it is quite out of the question for either you or the Prince to help carry these boxes.  It is my duty.  Please be seated, and I will let you know when we are ready to leave."

Andrea exchanged glances with Frank, who shrugged.  Under his breath, he said, "None of them are very heavy.  Trust me, it will be easier to just let him get on with it.  Arguing will get us nowhere."

He looked at Homer.  "Thank you for your assistance, Homer."

Gratified, the young man smiled.  "You're most welcome."  He grabbed a box and headed for the door, which Frank quickly opened for him.  "Thank you very much, Your Highness.  Now please sit down and rest."

After Homer disappeared with the first box, Frank and Andrea looked at each other and started to laugh.  Frank shook his head and wryly observed, "If you think _he's bad, just wait until we get back to Transsexual.  You'll have people __literally trying to kiss your feet.  I recommend you enjoy the last taste of normality you'll have for a very long time."_

Finally, Homer managed to load everything into the truck's bed, and he escorted Frank and Andrea down to the truck.  "I am extremely sorry to inform you that all three of us will have to sit together up front, as there is no back seat in the truck's cab.  Please accept my most sincere apologies for any discomfort."

Frank turned to Andrea and rolled his eyes.  Clearly Homer's overt subservience was wearing on his nerves.  Nonetheless, he managed to turn back to Homer and smile.  "That's quite all right, Homer.  It can hardly be avoided.  How long will it take to arrive at the ship?"

"Not long at all, Your Highness.  Perhaps fifteen minutes or so."

Frank turned again to Andrea.  "It seems to me we have two options…either one of us sits in the middle, or you sit on my lap.  Which would you prefer?"

The question was, as they say, a no-brainer.  "I'll sit on your lap."

Homer looked extremely concerned.  "That arrangement would be highly dangerous if we were so unfortunate as to get into an accident."

Andrea laughed.  "I'll risk it, Homer.  Just drive carefully."

Andrea soon regretted issuing that admonition, as Homer crept along at barely 20 miles per hour.  Finally, when Frank's patience had reached its breaking point, he commented, "I believe it would be safe to speed up a bit.  There's nobody else on the road as far as the eye can see."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After what seemed an eternity, but was in actuality about twenty minutes, they arrived at an isolated, wooded area.  Homer steered the truck through a clearing in the blanket of trees, and they found themselves in a large field.  In the middle of the field sat what appeared to be a castle, smaller but newer than the one Frank had originally inhabited in Denton.  The ship was waiting.

Homer backed the truck up to the castle/ship's doorway.  Almost immediately, the door opened and a distinguished-looking man, older and taller than Homer, emerged.  He approached Frank and Andrea, who were somewhat awkwardly emerging from the truck's cab.

The man was respectful, but, to Frank and Andrea's relief, lacked Homer's utter obsequiousness.  He bowed and introduced himself to them.  "Your Highness, I am very pleased indeed to meet you.  My name is Orion.  I will be the pilot for your voyage home."  He turned to Andrea.  "You must be Andromeda.  Her Majesty, Queen Electra, has spoken very highly of you.  I'd like to welcome you both aboard the newest acquisition to the royal fleet, the Stellar Traveler."

While Homer unloaded their boxes from the truck and put them in a storage room, Orion showed Frank and Andrea around the ship.  While the types of amenities were similar to those found on most ships, those on the Stellar Traveler were distinguished by their luxuriousness.  Frank assumed his mother had adopted this particular ship for her periodic trips from Transsexual to the other planets in the Transylvanian galaxy.

Finally, Homer drove the truck into the garage, and it was time to depart.  Orion escorted Frank and Andrea to a beautifully appointed room, with two comfortable armchairs equipped with seat belts.  "I know both of you are aware of the procedures.  Please remain in these chairs, with the seat belts on, until I give the signal that it is safe to move about the ship.  Should you require anything during the trip, Homer will be pleased to assist you."  He started to leave, then turned back.  "Your mother was adamant that your arrival on Transsexual be kept strictly confidential.  She has insured there will be no press present.  Hopefully you will find the prospect of a peaceful arrival somewhat reassuring."

Orion left to go to the control room, leaving Frank and Andrea alone.  They belted themselves into the chairs, and sat quietly.  Finally, Andrea broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

Frank smiled and shrugged.  "Yes, I suppose so.  I'm sure I'll feel better once we've actually arrived."  

Any further comments were rendered impossible, as the ship took off with a roar.  Frank and Andrea sat, lost in their own thoughts, as the ship departed the Earth's atmosphere and settled into its normal travel velocity.  After about fifteen minutes, as the roar of the engines ebbed to a hum, Orion's voice was heard on the loudspeaker.  

"You are free to move about the ship.  Enjoy the voyage."

Frank unbuckled his seat belt, as did Andrea.  He approached her chair, a mischievous light gleaming in his eyes.  He gently pulled her to her feet, took her in his arms, and gave her an ardent kiss.  She melted in his embrace, literally weak in the knees as his lips and tongue so expertly melded with her own.  At last, he drew back, smiling.  

"The master bedroom suite on this ship is absolutely spectacular.  It would be a terrible waste were we to not take advantage of it."

She nodded soberly.  "You're quite right, of course.  I can always rely on you to know the proper course of action."

Ah, yes.  _This was the only way to travel._


	19. The Arrival

**Writer's note:  Thanks for the additional reviews.  It was starting to feel lonely out here.**

Andrea woke up, momentarily at a loss as to where she was.  She looked around the magnificent suite, and heard the soft hum of the ship's engines.  Oh, of course.  How could she forget?  She cuddled closer to Frank, asleep beside her, and put an arm protectively around him.

Over the past few months, she had gotten to know him so well.  One thing she'd learned about him was his tendency to use sex as a tool to cope with stress…and so it had been on the ship.  Most of the week they'd been in transit had been spent in bed.  Not that she objected, mind you.  She was willing to do anything in her power to help him, and lord knows she couldn't come up with a more amazingly pleasurable way to do that if her life depended on it.  It did, however, pain her that his feelings about returning to Transsexual were so ambivalent.  Were it not for his mother, she suspected he would have turned his back on his prior life without a second thought.  Maybe she didn't do him any favors by finding him.

No.  She couldn't allow herself to think that way.  Not only was it counterproductive, it was pointless.  She _had found him, and they were on their way back to Transsexual.  There was no turning back now._

As if to underscore her thoughts, Orion's voice echoed throughout the room.  "We shall be arriving on Transsexual within twenty minutes.  Please return to your seats and prepare for landing."

The announcement awakened Frank.  He rubbed his eyes and fought to clear the fog from his sleep-addled brain.  "We're landing already?"

Andrea was already out of bed, collecting the clothes that had been strewn all over the floor in their earlier haste.  "Apparently so.  This ship is remarkably fast.  The trip took twice as long when I traveled to Earth."  She handed his clothes to him, and began getting dressed herself.

He followed suit.  Once they'd freshened up in the suite's bathroom – considerably larger, and infinitely more posh, than the living room in the apartment they'd left behind - the two of them headed to their seats.  Andrea looked over at Frank, attempting to figure out how he was feeling.  His expression was difficult to read, but she thought she could detect both excitement and apprehension in his eyes.  She reached out to take his hand.

"Please don't worry.  Everything will be all right.  At least your mother made sure you wouldn't be ambushed by the press right away."

He smiled wryly.  "Yes, I'm extremely grateful for that.  She always did have a knack for looking out for me."  He laughed softly.  "She probably wanted to make sure I wouldn't spout some obscenity at a particularly obnoxious reporter.  She knows I tend to have a short fuse when I'm tired and stressed.  I can control my temper better now than I could when I was last home, but I'm happy I won't be put to the test immediately."

She grasped his hand more tightly and rolled her eyes at him in mock exasperation.  "I suppose it never occurred to you that she simply wanted your reunion to be a private matter."

"Well, yes, that too."

They fell silent, taking in the sensation of descent.  Finally, there was a soft thud, and the ship was still.

Orion's voice again came over the loudspeaker.  "Welcome to Transsexual.  We have arrived at the landing field on the grounds of the Royal Palace.  Homer will now escort you to the exit doorway.  It has been my pleasure to serve as your pilot."

Immediately, Homer appeared, beaming at them.  "Welcome home, Your Highness."  He bowed to Andrea.  "Ma'am."  He waited for them to get up from their seats, then turned back to the door.  "Please follow me."

Hand in hand, Frank and Andrea followed Homer down myriad hallways toward the exit.  When they finally reached the door, Homer opened it and stepped aside.

"After you."

Frank nodded to Andrea.  She stepped forward, with Frank right behind her, his hand resting lightly on her lower back.  It was early morning, and a warm violet glow shone over the horizon as Transsexual's distant sun began its rise.  It was unusually balmy, and the soft perfume of countless wildflowers filled the air.  The palace grounds always had a calming effect on Frank, and he felt himself relax as he took in the familiar sights, scents and sounds of his birthplace.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw a lone figure standing about fifteen yards away.  Drawing closer, it became clear the figure was that of a woman, slender and elegant, dressed in lavender robes.  Her mane of dark curls fell down her back, and her beautiful face was unlined and radiant.  She was smiling, but her trembling lower lip betrayed that she was on the verge of tears.  Frank's vision blurred as his own eyes filled with tears.  Before him was the woman who'd given him life, unconditional love, the means to return home, and even his extraordinary lover…all debts he could never hope to repay.

At last, they were standing face to face.  Simultaneously, each reached out to gently brush away the tears falling from the other's eyes.  Finally, in a choked voice, the woman spoke.

"My son…welcome home."

At this, she reached out for him, and he enfolded her in a tight embrace.  Andrea, standing off to the side, felt tears fall down her own face as she watched this tender reunion.  Suddenly, the flash of a nearby camera brutally shattered the spell.

Queen Electra jumped back as if she had been shot by a bullet instead of a camera.  She shouted, "Get that reporter!"

At her words, three bodyguards, who had been discreetly secluded behind the surrounding foliage, jumped out in hot pursuit of the trespassing journalist.

The Queen looked at Frank, her hazel eyes still flashing with anger.  "I'm so very sorry about that intrusion.  I have absolutely no idea how it could have happened."

Frank sighed.  "If _that little episode isn't proof I'm back home, I don't know what could be."  He forced himself to shake off his own anger, and smiled at his mother.  "Please don't worry about it.  It isn't important.  What __is important is that we're home."  He looked over at Andrea, wordlessly beckoning her to join them._

She did so, smiling at the Queen.  Electra smiled back at her.  "It's lovely to see you again, Andromeda.  I welcome the opportunity to thank you in person for the great service you have provided – not only for me, but for the Transylvanian people as well.  You have brought the Crown Prince back to us."

Andrea put her arm around Frank's waist and smiled up at him.  "I promise you, Your Majesty, it was my pleasure." 

Queen Electra looked at Frank and Andrea, her own pleasure evident on her face.  She couldn't imagine a better partner for her beloved son if she'd chosen her herself.  Oh, wait…she had!

She turned and faced the palace itself.  "I hope you don't mind walking back to the palace.  The weather is so glorious this morning."

Frank shook his head.  "Not at all.  I've missed walking the palace grounds."

They started walking toward the palace.  The Queen asked, "Did you have a pleasant journey?"

Frank smiled at Andrea as he answered.  "It was wonderful, and the ship was absolutely magnificent!  When did you acquire it?"

"It's brand new.  The trip to bring you back here was its maiden voyage.  You approve, then?"

"Safe to say, both Andromeda and I most heartily approve."  At this comment, Andrea put her arms around Frank, and he leaned down to kiss her.  

The Queen smiled.  It wasn't hard to imagine which of the ship's many amenities they had utilized on the journey.

Once they reached the palace, Electra turned to Andrea.  "Andromeda, would you object if I have the butler show you to your quarters?  I'd like to have a talk with my son."

"Not at all, Your Majesty."


	20. Mother and Child Reunion

Electra brought Frank into her den, a small, cozy room amidst the vast splendor of the palace.  She sat on the large, overstuffed sofa, and motioned for Frank to sit next to her.  

She sat silent for a minute, smiling, taking in his blue jeans and blue denim shirt.  "You certainly have changed your personal style in the time you've been gone."

Frank laughed.  "Well, admittedly the change was initially made out of necessity.  However, I must admit I've gotten accustomed to it.  It's certainly considerably more comfortable, and considerably _less effort."_

She nodded.  "I like it.  However, I should warn you that isn't the look your people will want to see when you make public appearances."

His voice and smile had a touch of irony.  "I understand.  Not to worry.  I've always been prepared to give the people what they want."

Electra caught his sardonic tone.  "It was a burden for you, wasn't it?"

Frank looked at his mother, slightly taken aback by her question.  "A burden?"  He sighed.  "I suppose one could say that, although I never realized I felt that way until I lost all contact with Transsexual.  One of the most frightening, but ultimately liberating, aspects of being left behind on Earth was trying to figure out what I wanted from myself…I'd always expended so much energy on living up to what everyone else wanted from me."

Electra put her hand on Frank's arm.  "From what Andromeda reported to me, you succeeded brilliantly in finding a sense of purpose.  I can't tell you how proud I am of how well you managed to create an entirely new life for yourself."

Frank cocked his head and looked at her curiously.  "I appreciate your saying that, but really, what choice did I have?"

"You could have failed to rise to the challenge, and that challenge was considerable.  When one is raised as a member of the royal family, that identity becomes central to one's self-image.  I honestly doubt I could survive its loss, simply because I have no other resources from which to draw.  In that sense, you were better prepared than I could ever be, as you'd fought to be trained as a scientist.  However, even at that, going from being a Crown Prince to being an ordinary private citizen was a daunting obstacle to overcome.  You demonstrated you were strong enough to do it.  You should be proud of that."

Frank was silent a moment.  "Now I hope I have sufficient strength to go from being a private citizen to being a Crown Prince again.  I suspect that may prove to be the more difficult challenge."

Electra looked at him with concern.  "You enjoyed life on Earth that much?"

Frank answered with reluctance.  "Allow me to put it this way…I found it considerably more rewarding.  There, I had a real job.  I was a professor, and a damn good one.  Students would clamor to get into my classes.  It was immensely satisfying.  However, on Transsexual, my sole function is to be 'The Prince.'  I exist merely to be photographed, and written about, and seen at various public events.  I know that won't always be the case, but for the foreseeable future, that seems to be my lot in life.  Fortunately I can work on my science, but it's a bit frustrating that everyone seems to dismiss it as just an insignificant hobby."  

The Queen looked at him with sympathy.  Frank's ambition and brilliance would serve him well once he became Transylvania's ruler, but prevented him from being truly content with his life until he could take on the challenges of that role.  It was an unfortunate paradox…a person of lesser intelligence and drive would thrive in the role of Crown Prince, but fail dismally upon taking the throne.  If there was a way to reconcile the two roles, she hadn't yet discovered it.

"I can't say I have any words of wisdom about how to cope with the demands, such as they are, of life as the Crown Prince.  I'm aware it's a role for which you are not particularly well suited, by either personality or intellect.  However, I would like to disabuse you of the notion that your scientific work is not taken seriously.  Your achievement with Rocky justifiably created quite a sensation within the scientific community.  Your academic title may never supplant the one you acquired at birth, but your talents _have been clearly recognized."_

Frank brightened somewhat at this news.  "Thank you for telling me.  It may not have much impact on my daily life, but it's comforting to know that all my hard work has not been ignored – or, worse, dismissed."

Electra smiled, but gradually her expression became more serious.  "I believe I need to prepare you for what has happened throughout Transylvania since you've been gone, and what you're likely to face in the next few days.  You may not particularly enjoy the role of Crown Prince, but it is one at which you have been spectacularly successful.  Certainly you recall your popularity before your departure for Earth.  That popularity is _nothing in comparison to what it has been since Riff Raff and Magenta returned to Transsexual without you.  People throughout Transylvania, particularly the young, were plunged into mourning by your apparent death, and your status went from 'popular' to 'iconic'.  For the past few weeks, rumors have been flying that you were alive and about to return to Transsexual, and the level of interest can best be described as frenzied – as evidenced by the presence of our reporter friend earlier.  It is my hope and intention that you and Andromeda will have today to get settled.  However, the press cannot be held at bay for long, particularly if my bodyguards were unable to apprehend that reporter.  This evening the Palace will issue an announcement that you have indeed returned, and will make your first public appearance tomorrow afternoon at the Galaxy Stadium.  The event will be broadcast throughout Transylvania.  Will you be ready?_

Frank shrugged.  "When I have no choice, I do what I have to do."

"Fine.  I will leave it to you – and Andromeda – as to whether you mention her special place in your life.  I am quite sure the press will discover your relationship soon enough, so consider yourself forewarned."

"I understand."

The Queen steeled herself for her next statement.  "The day after tomorrow, you will need to visit The Catacombs, where Riff Raff and Magenta are imprisoned, to pass sentence on them.  Have you made your decision?"

Frank's expression was grim.  "I believe so."

"Do you want to talk to me about it?"

He looked at his mother, his tension palpable.  "Not particularly."

His obvious sensitivity to the subject concerned her, but she decided not to press him.  "All right.  Now I suggest you take advantage of this time of relative peace and quiet to prepare for the hectic days ahead."

Frank forced himself to shake off the gloom that had settled in the pit of his stomach, like a lead weight, with the mention of Riff Raff and Magenta.  He rose from the sofa and smiled at his mother.  "That sounds like excellent advice."  He started to leave, then turned back to face her.  "Thank you for everything you've done for me.  In particular, thank you for refusing to give up on discovering my fate.  I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to me."

She smiled slightly, shaking her head.  "How could I ever give up on finding out what happened to you…particularly in light of the possibility you were still alive?  When I was told you were dead, all I could think was that I would gladly give up every bit of power and wealth I possessed to have you back again.  Instead I was able to use those very assets in order to make your return a reality.  I am, indeed, a fortunate woman."

Frank gave her a wry look.  "I hope you still think so after these next few days are over.  You may end up wishing you'd left me where I was."

With a playful grimace, Electra picked up one of the pillows from the sofa and tossed it at his head.  Laughing, Frank caught it, replaced it on the sofa, and quickly left the room.

As soon as he walked out, Electra's playful demeanor became pensive.  _No, she thought, __I'm afraid YOU'LL end up wishing I'd left you where you were.     _


	21. The Decision

Frank walked into his quarters, a lavish suite of rooms in one of the palace's many alcoves.  He found Andrea already situated there, sitting on a sofa leafing through a pile of newspapers.

Frank smiled at her.  "Have you made yourself at home?"

She looked up, startled.  "I didn't hear you come in!  This is where the butler brought me.  Does that mean your mother doesn't object to our living together here?"

He laughed.  "Why would she object to our living together here?  She didn't mind that we were living together on Earth.  It isn't as if she isn't fully aware of the nature of our relationship.  Indeed, by your own account she did everything in her power to encourage it."

She shrugged.  "I suppose I still find it difficult to believe she thinks I'm good enough for her son."

He sat down next to her and gave her a lingering kiss that sent shivers up and down her spine.  "Believe it."

She blushed, and changed the subject.  "My goodness, the prospect of your return has created quite a stir."

Frank nodded.  "Yes, so I've been told.  This evening the Palace is making an announcement that I'm back, and my first public appearance will be at the Galaxy Stadium tomorrow afternoon.  I suppose I'd better find some time today to look through these papers, to give myself some idea of what I'm likely to face tomorrow."

She shook her head.   Half joking, she said, "I'm not sure that's such a great idea.  It may scare you to death."

"Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.  Anyway, I don't scare _that easily."_

He paused.  "What about you?  Do _you scare easily?"_

Andrea was confused.  "What do you mean?"

"One thing my mother mentioned was that you and I should decide whether I should say anything about our relationship tomorrow.  I'm prepared to leave that entirely up to you.  Before you answer, I want you to think long and hard about what you've been reading.  I'm asking you more than just whether you'd like me to mention you in a speech.  I know we've discussed this before, but those 'newspapers'" – he gestured dismissively – "are a good indication of the kind of life you can expect to live with me.  Whether I mention you tomorrow or not, the press will soon get wind of our relationship, and your life will be irreparably changed.  I don't have a choice about whether to put up with this…crap.  However, you do, at least for a little while longer.  Soon enough, that choice will be taken away from you."  He put one hand on her shoulder, and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes with the other.  "What I'm doing right now is giving you one final opportunity to walk away and preserve a normal life.  I can't pretend I wouldn't be devastated if you were to leave, but I would completely understand and support the decision.  Your own self-preservation has to come first."

She stared into his eyes, stunned into silence.  How could he think she could entertain, even for a split second, the thought of leaving him?

After a long moment, she finally found her voice.  "Frank, I entered into this relationship with my eyes wide open.  Remember, I was fully aware of your true identity, and I knew we would be returning to Transsexual in a matter of months.  To be honest, I was hoping we _wouldn't be attracted to each other, because I had no particular inclination to live my life in the middle of a media circus.  But right from the very beginning, my need to be with you was far stronger than my desire to live what you call a 'normal' life…and now that I've fallen so completely in love with you, there's absolutely no way I could walk out.  You __have to know that."    _

He smiled slightly.  "Well, yes, I do.  However, I want you to remember we had this conversation on a day when you're chased down the street by a gang of rogue photographers…or get hate mail from some delusional adolescent who believes he or she would be my lover were it not for your obtrusive presence…or read a tabloid story claiming you're pregnant by the palace chef.  Really, the possibilities are endless."

Although she knew he wasn't completely joking, she couldn't help but laugh.  "I'll take my chances."

"Does that mean you'd like me to reveal our relationship in my speech tomorrow?"

She thought for a moment.  While it might buy her another few days of relative peace if Frank omitted all mention of her, she knew he was correct that the respite would be short-lived.  If he brought it up himself, at least their version of events would get out to the people before the media added its own, undoubtedly sensationalized, interpretation.

"Better the people hear it first from you than from the tabloid press."

"I agree.  However, I suggest you alert your family to what I'm about to do.  Believe me, it will affect them as well."

Andrea rolled her eyes.  "My mother will be in her glory.  She's always wanted to be famous."

Frank smiled and shook his head.  "At least _someone will have fun with it."_


	22. The Preshow

The next day began early for both Frank and Andrea.  After breakfast with the Queen, they went back to their quarters to prepare for Frank's grand appearance at the stadium.

Frank groaned when his hand slipped yet again as he attempted to apply his eye makeup.  "It has become painfully obvious I'm completely out of practice.  Just finishing the makeup will take me hours at this rate."

Andrea sighed in sympathy.  "Do you want me to do it for you?"

Frank choked back an obscenity as he dropped the eyeliner onto the floor.  "No, I have to get used to doing this again.  As my mother has already informed me, it is what the people expect of me when I make public appearances."

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time.  I'll finish getting dressed in the next room.  Maybe it will be easier for you if you're alone."

"Perhaps, but it's an absolute certainty it will be easier for _you if I'm alone.  Trust me."_

She laughed.  "Just holler if you need me."

He smiled back at her.  "My love, I _always need you."_

An hour later, she went back into the bedroom to check on his progress.  When she saw him, she gasped in amazement.  Of course she'd seen him in full regalia many times in photographs and on video broadcasts, but the effect of seeing him thus attired in the flesh was completely overwhelming.

He looked absolutely gorgeous.  He may have struggled with the application of his makeup, but the end result was flawless.  His large hazel eyes were accented with purple eyeliner, and eye shadow in various shades of purple and lavender.  His sensuous lips were painted a glossy, deep shade of plum, blush in a similar shade of plum lightly highlighted his cheekbones, and shiny, well-groomed ebony curls framed his face. 

In place of his casual Earth attire was a deep purple, sequined corset, black panties, and black fishnet stockings.  Accenting the outfit were gold lamé opera-length gloves, a sparkling diamond choker, a purple satin cape lined in gold lamé, and black rhinestone-studded platform shoes.  

He caught sight of her in the mirror, and smiled at the stunned expression on her face.  "Well?  What do you think?"

At last, she found her voice.  "I think you look completely amazing."

He grinned.  "Thank you.  I should mention you look quite amazing yourself."

It was true.  Andrea was clad in beautiful silver robes, gathered at her waist.  Her auburn hair was styled in an elaborate upsweep, and her makeup was as skillfully applied and flattering as Frank's.  She looked like a sexy, exotic Transylvanian goddess.

She smiled back at him.  "Thanks."  She walked over to the bed and sat down.  "Are you nervous?"

"No, not really.  Why should I be nervous?  The crowd will love me no matter what I do.  I won't have to be articulate, or amusing, or even remotely interesting.  My mere presence will be sufficient for them.  I was more nervous facing my classes for the first time.  The students expected a lot more of me."  He took off the cape, tossed it onto a nearby chair, and sat down next to her.  "How are _you feeling?  Are you ready for what's about to happen?"_

She thought a moment before answering.  "I can only hope so.  As I sit here with you now, I feel confident.  How I'll feel once our relationship is a matter of public record, I'm not sure."

He nodded.  "Fair enough."

Before he could comment further, Wadsworth, the head butler for the royal family, knocked discreetly at the door.  "Your Highness, it is time to depart."

Frank looked at Andrea.  "It's Showtime."


	23. Addressing the Planet

Frank and Andrea waited backstage with Queen Electra, who was looking beautiful in her deep purple robes trimmed in gold.  They could hear the excited hum of the audience, gradually growing in volume as the scheduled time for Frank's appearance drew closer.

Andrea peeked around the curtain to get a look at the crowd.  The enormous stadium was filled to capacity, and cameras were positioned at every possible angle.  She walked back to Frank, whose expression seemed to reflect more boredom than excitement.

"Come on, you cannot _possibly be that calm!"_

He raised an eyebrow.  "Can't I?"

She groaned in exasperation, making him laugh.  Before she could compose a suitably tart response, a frazzled middle-aged man rushed up to Frank, looking nervous enough for the both of them.

"Your Highness," then bowing to Electra, "Your Majesty, my name is DeMille, and I am the director of this broadcast.  I know you have been briefed by my stage manager, but I wanted to make sure you didn't have any additional questions before we get started."

Electra answered, "No, it's all quite simple.  Once I hear the musical fanfare, I am to go out to center stage, from where I will introduce Frank.  He will join me, I will leave, and he will give his speech.  At one point he will introduce Andromeda, who will then join him for the rest of his time on stage.  I assume we have as much broadcast time as we need?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty.  Nothing would bring in more viewers throughout Transylvania than this most memorable and remarkable event."

She nodded approvingly.  "Thank you, DeMille.  Your efforts are most appreciated."

He smiled and bowed.  "Thank you, Your Majesty.  I now must return to the control room.  The time is almost upon us."

After he left, Electra shot a severe look at Frank.  "I have not noticed you in possession of any notes.  Are you prepared?"

Frank closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at his mother.  "Surely you don't believe I have any particular desire to look like an idiot in front of an audience of millions.  I know what I intend to say.  I've _never used notes when giving a speech."_

Andrea, who had heard him speak on many occasions, was amazed.  "You're kidding.  How can you do that?"

Before he could answer, the strains of the royal fanfare began to echo throughout the stadium.  "Ah, my cue," said Electra.  She walked over to Frank and hugged him.  "Good luck."

He smiled.  "Thank you.  Same to you."

She laughed.  "As long as I don't fall off my shoes, or trip over my hem, all will be well."

_Damn it, thought Andrea.  _Why did she have to say that?  I was nervous enough already!__

The Queen made it to center stage without incident, accompanied by the rapturous applause of her people.  When the din finally began to die down, she held up her hands for silence.  The stadium became hushed, in breathless anticipation of what she was to say.

"As you are aware, Transylvania has always been in the forefront of both space exploration and scientific inquiry.  In the service of these disciplines, several delegations made up of the most brilliant minds in our galaxy were sent to a distant galaxy called the Milky Way.  These delegates returned with fascinating information about a planet in that galaxy called Earth.  However, one delegate…one very important delegate…failed to return.

"I need not remind everyone of the grief that swept throughout Transylvania when we received word of the apparent death of our Crown Prince – and my son - Frank N. Furter.  That his death was purportedly by suicide made it seem all the more senseless.  However, when a key element in the story told by his erstwhile assistants was proven false, I made it my business to find out what had actually happened.  I dispatched an exceptional young private investigator to his last known residence on Earth, and she quickly confirmed what I had suspected" – here the Queen paused for effect – "the Prince was not dead at all.  Having been left behind on Earth, he had succeeded in establishing a new life for himself.  Notwithstanding that admirable accomplishment, it was time for him to return to his home, and to his people."

Electra paused again, smiling as she listened to the audience's excited murmurs grow in volume.  "This he has done.  It is my distinct honor, as a monarch and as a mother, to introduce my son and your Prince – Frank N. Furter."

The audience exploded in applause.  Backstage, Andrea hugged Frank.  "As they say on Earth…break a leg!"

Frank couldn't help but laugh.  "Poor choice of words.  I'm not used to these shoes anymore…under the circumstances, I'm not sure if that's an expression of good luck or a prophecy."

With that, he took a deep breath, collected himself, and walked out on stage.  At the first sight of him, the audience, already rabidly enthusiastic, erupted in a frenzy of applause and cheers.  

For all of Frank's dispassionate comments about the reaction he'd anticipated from the crowds, he was surprised and unexpectedly moved by the fervor of their response.  He felt tears fill his eyes, and furiously blinked them back.  He couldn't afford to lose his composure right before having to speak…nor could he allow his carefully applied makeup to get ruined!

At last, he joined Electra at center stage.  He and his mother embraced, evoking even more cheers from the audience.  After squeezing his hand in one final "good luck" gesture, she left the stage, leaving him alone in the blaze of lights.  

As he stood, smiling and basking in the adulation of his people, he finally understood how fortunate he truly was.  The freedom he'd experienced on Earth had soured him on the many restrictions he faced on Transsexual – the inability to go anywhere unaccompanied, the relentless press attention to his every move, the lack of fulfilling employment.  However, he hadn't remembered the rewards of his position.  Yes, there was the wealth and status – but more importantly, there were also opportunities like this one, when he realized just how much he meant to the people of Transylvania.  All too often, he'd viewed personal appearances as a chore.  Now it became clear to him that his very presence could turn an otherwise mundane occasion into an event the participants would remember the rest of their lives.  How many people could say that?

Finally, as his mother had done, he raised his hands in a plea for silence.  The crowd gradually quieted down, until he was able to speak.

"Thank you ever so much for that incredible welcome.  Mark my words, it felt as good as sex."  He smiled wickedly.  "Well, almost."

The audience laughed.  Frank was well aware his reputation as a sex god was an integral part of his public persona, and he was perfectly willing to trade on that.  Give the people what they want, as it were.

Still smiling, he continued.  "In all seriousness, you've made me realize anew just how fortunate I am to be back home.  There is truly no place in the universe like the planets of Transylvania.  The sparkling ebony beaches of Transsexual, the indescribable beauty of the crystal cliffs of Terra, the gentle seductiveness of the floral-scented hot springs of Tosca…all exert a magical pull on my heart.  However, more important than the physical beauty of the planets is the warmth and love I've always experienced from their people.  I am indeed among the most fortunate of men."

A burst of applause made Frank pause.  He was reminded of the State of the Union speeches he'd watched the President of the United States deliver on American television, when his partisan supporters would interrupt him with applause every few minutes, no matter how mundane the statement.  It occurred to him that his relatively brief speech might take considerably longer to deliver than he'd anticipated.  Once the applause died down, he picked up where he'd left off. 

"I am fortunate enough to have had experiences that most people can only dream of.  Without a doubt, one of those experiences was the opportunity to live for a time on the planet Earth.  As a scientist, I am always interested in discovering the previously unknown, so there was no way I could bear to miss out on the opportunity to travel to a distant galaxy.  The time I spent on Earth for the mission was highly fruitful, both in terms of gaining information about the planet itself, and in working on my own scientific endeavors.  I was very much looking forward to my return to Transylvania, in order to share everything I'd learned.  However, it was not to be."  Frank's expression, smiling to this point, suddenly darkened.   

"As I know you are aware, I did not remain on Earth by choice after the mission was completed.  The rumors you have heard are, indeed, true…I was attacked and left for dead by two trusted members of my household, both of whom are now under arrest and in custody."

An excited hum from the crowd had accompanied Frank's speech up to this point.  However, this confirmation of the sensational and widespread rumor, coming directly from him, shocked the audience members into silence.

"As a matter of fact, my next official act will be to pass sentence on them for their act of treachery.  I am not, at this time, prepared to discuss the decision I have made in this regard.  However, I would like to ask you to be prepared to support my actions.  I am the only person, aside from the perpetrators themselves, who knows the whole story of what went on that night…not to mention what led up to it, and what happened to me in its aftermath.  The sentence I will render takes all of those circumstances into account.  I will feel more free to explain further after the sentence is officially passed and carried out."

Frank took a deep breath, and with great effort pushed the grim thoughts of Riff Raff and Magenta from his mind.  Again, he smiled at the audience.  "Imagine, if you will, my initial horror at the realization that I would, in all likelihood, be living out my life on Earth.  It was one thing to live and work among the Earthlings as a research project, but quite another to be forced to permanently abandon my lifelong identity and essentially become an entirely different person.  However, much to my amazement, I managed to create a happy existence for myself.

"I had been working as a science professor at a small college.  I kept the job after the attack, and came to realize how much I enjoyed teaching.  Through my job, I made some good friends.  Most importantly…I fell in love."

Although the strong lights prevented Frank from clearly seeing his audience, he was able to hear its collective gasp at this particular revelation.  The Transylvanian press had always devoted considerable time and attention to his liaisons, wondering when or if he would ever meet that special someone who could succeed in winning his heart…an endeavor at which countless hopefuls, both male and female, had tried and failed.

"Her name was Andrea Spencer, and she was a literature professor at the college.  We met at a party the night before the start of the Fall semester, and spent virtually every night together from that point on.  She was extremely beautiful, highly intelligent, wonderfully warm and witty…and, as I found out very recently…she was a Transylvanian."

There was another gasp from the audience, even louder than the one before.

Frank laughed.  "I assure you, you aren't half as surprised as I was.   You heard my mother mention the 'exceptional young private investigator' she'd sent to Earth to find out what had happened to me.  It turned out the woman I'd known as Andrea Spencer _was that private investigator.  Her real name is Andromeda Saran, and she is a native of Transsexual.  My mother was extremely impressed with Andromeda, not just as an investigator, but also as a person.  She was so impressed, in fact, that she was willing to delay my return to Transylvania to give Andromeda and me the opportunity to fall in love and solidify our relationship away from the glare of publicity we would inevitably face here. In short, it is due to the efforts of two incredible women, my mother and Andromeda, that I stand before you today.  Of course you know my mother well; I believe it is now time for you to meet Andromeda."  He turned toward the back of the stage.  "Andromeda, would you care to join me?"_

Although Andrea had known she would be going onstage, her stomach still dropped in a jolt of sheer panic when she heard Frank beckon her.  How did he and Electra manage to face such huge crowds so calmly?  She imagined it must have something to do with how they were raised…both had been facing crowds since infancy.  What she _couldn't imagine was how __she would ever be able to get used to it.  Oh well, there was no time to contemplate that now…or, for that matter, contemplate the inescapable fact that her life was about to be irrevocably changed.  She had to be by Frank's side – which was, of course, the only place she truly wanted to be, no matter where he was._

On shaking legs, she walked out on stage.  The lights were so bright she could barely see Frank standing at center stage, waiting for her.  Through her terror, she became dimly aware of the roar of applause from the crowd.  Suddenly, she realized the applause was for her.  For _her.  The realization brought her a sense of peace.  These people loved Frank, and they wanted to love her, too.  She would just have to give them the opportunity._

When she reached center stage, Frank took her in his arms, to cheers and whistles from the crowd.  Bending his head, he whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"  Smiling, she looked in his eyes and nodded.

At this, he released her and stepped aside, although he kept his hand on the small of her back as a gesture of reassurance - for which she was grateful.  She didn't have the confidence to signal to the crowd for silence, so she waited for the noise to die down.  Finally, sensing she was growing uncomfortable, Frank raised one hand to the audience.  At his gesture, relative silence fell over the stadium.

Andrea felt Frank gently massaging her back, a sensation that managed to be simultaneously soothing and exciting.  She looked over and smiled at him, before turning back to the audience.  

"Thank you so much for the warm welcome.  I was terrified at the very idea of walking out here in front of so many people, but you've made me feel, well, _almost comfortable."_

Laughter greeted this comment.  Emboldened by the positive reaction, she continued.

"Both Her Majesty, Queen Electra, and Frank himself have been kind enough to thank me for my role in bringing Frank back to Transylvania.  As much as I appreciate their gratitude, I know I am much more in their debt than they are in mine.  I'm grateful to Queen Electra for the opportunity to get to know – and fall in love with – her son.  And I'm grateful to Frank for…well, for more things than I could ever list for you now, but essentially for making me feel more loved and cherished than anyone ever has, or ever could.  I look forward to proving myself worthy of his love – not only to him, but also to the people of Transylvania, who care so much about him."  She paused for a moment.  "Thank you for listening."

With relief, she stepped aside slightly, listening to the audience applaud her short commentary.  Frank, smiling, stepped forward again, keeping an arm protectively around her waist.

"I have every confidence you will treat Andromeda with the affection and respect she deserves.  I wish to assure you that if there are any significant developments in our relationship, we fully intend to share them with you.  There will be no need to harass palace employees, or my friends, or Andromeda's family and friends, to find out if we have secretly gotten engaged, or even married.  Should there be an engagement, the public will be informed immediately after we tell those closest to us.  And certainly any marriage ceremony would be shared with the people of Transylvania.  If you believe what I am now telling you…and there is no reason you should not…you will eliminate a major source of potential stress in our relationship."

After giving Andrea's waist a final squeeze, he dropped his arm and moved further forward on stage.  "I would like to conclude my remarks by telling you something I am quite sure you already know…you should be very proud to be citizens of Transylvania.  Our scientists have accomplished what no others in the entire universe have, at least to my knowledge.  We have located, and studied firsthand, intelligent life on planets in several galaxies outside of our own.  Of all those planets, Earth is by far the most advanced.  However, in comparison with the planets of Transylvania, Earth is primitive in many respects.  Its inhabitants are struggling to find cures for diseases we conquered long ago.  They have not yet sent manned space flights to planets outside their own galaxy, or, indeed, even to all the planets _within their galaxy.  They have not learned to regulate their weather to avoid such natural disasters as droughts, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.  Many of its inhabitants live in incredible poverty due to a lack of natural resources and great inequity in the distribution of whatever resources are present.  It is due to the many great minds Transylvania has produced over its long history that we no longer face those challenges.  Personally, I am enormously proud to be a product of such a civilization, and I hope you share my pride.  I look forward with great anticipation to the significant discoveries to come, and wish to convey my gratitude that I will be here to share those triumphs with the Transylvanian people._

"Thank you for your time, thank you for your support, and thank you for your love.  All are gifts I shall never forget."

As Frank listened to the thunderous ovation greeting the end of his speech, one phrase kept repeating itself in his head.  _I've come home.           _


	24. The Aftermath

As soon as Frank got backstage after his speech, he began giving a succession of one-on-one interviews to various prominent journalists from throughout Transylvania.  By the time he finally finished, night had fallen.  With great relief, he rejoined his mother and Andrea, both of whom had elected to remain at the stadium and wait for him.

The Queen looked at Frank with unmistakable pride.  "You did a marvelous job.  You have a true gift for connecting with your audience.  Nobody watching your performance today could have the slightest doubt that you will one day be a powerful and inspirational leader to the people of Transylvania."

He smiled wearily.  "Thank you.  However, at this point the only 'leading' I want to do is to lead the way back to the palace.  It's been a very long day."

Once they got back to the palace, the three of them had a quick dinner, then headed back to their respective living quarters.  Frank and Andrea wasted no time exchanging their elaborate clothing and makeup for scrubbed faces and comfortable bathrobes, holdovers from their days on Earth.

Frank sprawled face up on the bed, closing his eyes.  Andrea followed suit.  After a few moments of silence, she asked him, "Are you pleased with the way the day went?"

"Do you mean we're still in the same one?"  He yawned.  "Yes, I'm pleased.  One big hurdle down, and one more to go."

Andrea knew he was referring to Riff Raff and Magenta.  She echoed the question Queen Electra had asked him the previous day.  "Have you really decided what to do about them?"

Frank showed no more enthusiasm for discussing the subject with Andrea than he had with his mother.  "Yes, I believe so."

Like Electra, Andrea picked up on the tension in his voice.  Unfortunately, unlike Electra, she did not let the matter drop.

"Maybe you'd feel better if you talk about it.  It isn't good to keep your emotions bottled up."

Frank sat up on the bed.  "I'm afraid I must disagree in the present instance.  Thank you for the thought, but honestly, I have no desire to 'talk about it.'"

Andrea also sat up, and put her hand on his shoulder.  "Why not?  Please let me help you.  There's no need for you to go through this alone."

At this, Frank stood up abruptly, his back to Andrea.  "I'm sorry, but I told you I have _no intention of discussing this, with you or anyone else.  Please don't attempt to force me into a conversation I have absolutely no inclination to pursue."_

She paled at the anger in his voice.  After a moment, she walked over to him and put her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her body against his back.

"I'm sorry.  The last thing I wanted to do was to cause you more stress."  She slipped her hands under his robe, and started massaging his bare neck and shoulders.  Lowering her voice to a seductive purr, she asked, "Why not let me help you work off some of that tension?"

He turned and put his arms around her.  Although he was smiling, she noticed a hard expression in his eyes she'd never seen before.  "I appreciate the offer, but all I really want to do is get some sleep."

He released her and took off his bathrobe, tossing it onto a nearby chair, and crawled into bed.  She did the same, and reached over to turn out the bedside lamps.  "Goodnight, Frank."

"Goodnight.  Sleep well."

_Not much chance of that.  She tried to convince herself she was reading too much into their conversation.  It was obviously a…tender subject for him, and his sensitivity was undoubtedly heightened by fatigue.  There was nothing truly wrong._

Or so she hoped.            


	25. Preparations

Andrea awoke early the next morning, feeling particularly lethargic and depressed.  She was momentarily at a loss to explain her emotional state, until it hit her…Riff Raff and Magenta.  Today was the day Frank, Electra and she were to go to The Catacombs, the dark, cheerless prison where those convicted of the most serious crimes against Transsexual were incarcerated, in order for Frank to render his sentence.  She looked over at Frank, motionless beside her.  At first she thought he was asleep, but she saw him roll over onto his back and stare wordlessly at the ceiling.

"Good morning, Frank."

He was startled.  "I didn't realize you were awake."  He smiled ruefully.  "I'll give you the 'morning' part, but the 'good' part very much remains to be seen."

Frank remained uncharacteristically silent all morning, as he prepared to face Riff Raff and Magenta for the first time since that fateful night.  Andrea couldn't tell how he was feeling, but he certainly _looked wonderful.  He was wearing another corset, this one brilliant red, with a gold opera glove on one arm and a net opera glove on the other.  Black fishnet stockings again coated his beautifully formed legs, coordinating with the small black satin panties.  A fur stole, a strand of large pearls, rhinestone-studded platform shoes, and a feather headdress completed the ensemble, and his makeup was sheer perfection.  _

"Frank, you look absolutely stunning."

He looked at her, distracted.  "Thank you.  This is similar to what I was wearing the night they tried to kill me.  I thought it would have considerable impact for them to see me wearing it again, standing before them to pass sentence."

She didn't quite know how to respond to that comment.  "Oh, I see."

He took a final look in the mirror.  "Are you ready to leave?"

She was as ready as she'd ever be.


	26. The Perpetrators

In preparation for Frank's arrival, Riff Raff and Magenta were moved to a holding cell near the exit to the prison's courtyard.  It was the first time the two of them had seen each other since their arrest and subsequent incarceration.

"Magenta!"  Riff Raff caught his beloved sister as she was roughly shoved into the cell, almost losing her balance.  He enveloped her in a fierce embrace, as tears ran from his eyes.  He hungrily drank in the sight of her face, still beautiful despite all she'd been through.  Slender to begin with, it was obvious she'd lost more weight in prison – not surprising, considering the deadly combination of wretched food, uncomfortable accommodations and fear.  Riff Raff, who'd been almost skeletal before being imprisoned, had at least managed to maintain what weight he had.

Despite her misery, Magenta managed to give him a genuine smile.  "Hello, my dear brother."

Riff Raff's joy at being reunited with Magenta was tempered by not only fear, but by his guilt for bringing about the circumstances that had led them to this horrible place, in preparation for an undoubtedly even more horrible fate.  "How can you even bear the sight of me?  I managed to destroy both our lives, all because of an ill-advised burst of temper.  Can you ever forgive me?"

Magenta gently wiped away his tears.  "How can I _not forgive you?  I love you.  I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen."_

Riff Raff was silent for a moment.  "It depends on what you mean by 'any of this.'  Naturally I didn't intend for us to end up in prison.  But I _did intend to kill Frank, at least at the time.  He treated us like…like…"  
  
Magenta finished his sentence for him.  "Like servants."_

"Like _slaves.  There's a difference.  He was arrogant and condescending on Transsexual, but nothing in comparison to how utterly contemptuous he was on Earth.  It was completely demoralizing.  He __needed us, but he treated us like so much excess baggage.  After all those years of serving him and his mother, we both deserved far better than that."_

Magenta sighed.  "Riff, you need to keep in mind who he is, and how he was raised.  From the day he was born, he was surrounded by servants eager to cater to his every whim.  You must admit, there were times you came across as considerably less than eager to do his bidding."

Riff Raff gave her a withering glare.  "Small wonder.  He seemed to go out of his way to find repulsive tasks for me.  Just dealing with the excess body parts from his Rocky project was a nightmare.  The worse the job, the happier he was to give it to me."

"And I suppose you didn't think Frank was intelligent enough to pick up on the fact that you resented the way he treated you?  I'm sure that's why you bore more of the brunt of Frank's temper than I did.  He could see through you more easily."  She put a hand on his shoulder.  "You know, he didn't _always treat us poorly.  He could be very charming, too."_

Riff Raff wasn't quite prepared to concede his position.  "It was unfortunate he felt compelled to use that 'charm' on so many Earthlings.  He was completely out of control."

Magenta shook her head and leveled a severe look at Riff Raff.  He turned away to avoid her gaze.  "Riff, this is _me you're talking to.  I don't believe you were scandalized by Frank's behavior.  He's always been a hedonist.  He wasn't any worse on Earth than he was here.  Besides, part of his research was to see how sexually compliant the Earthlings were.  He was able to prove they aren't necessarily as conservative as we'd been led to believe.  That's something we need to know, if there is to be a possibility that Transylvanians are ever going to live on Earth permanently."_

"I get the impression you rather liked him.  How much of that legendary charm did he use on _you?"_

Magenta stared at him.  "Is _that _what your anger was about?  Not that you felt ill-used by Frank, or that you thought he was 'too extreme'…you thought I was sleeping with him?"

Riff Raff stared back at her.  "You answer _my_ question first."

Magenta took a deep breath, trying to control her own anger.  "Don't be ridiculous.  Frank never approached me to sleep with him, nor would I have accepted if he had.  How could you even suspect such a thing?"

"You're so beautiful.  How could he _not _have wanted you?  And it was obvious he was quite skilled at seducing the people he wanted."

She glared.  "I can't believe you would think I would betray you with any other man, even someone as powerful as Frank."

Riff Raff mumbled, "Well, he could have _forced_ you into it."

She snapped back, "Maybe so, but he didn't.  If that's what you were afraid of, why didn't you just _ask_ me, instead of getting yourself so angry that you wound up trying to kill the man?"

Riff Raff started to argue further, then stopped.  "You're right.  I'm sorry.  I resented being treated like a flunky, and I _was _afraid something was going on between the two of you.  I find you so incredibly sexy that I can't imagine anyone else not feeling the same way…and for reasons I can't begin to understand, most people seem to find _him _incredibly sexy as well.  I couldn't bear the thought that you might have been one of them."

Tears started running down his face again, as he realized anew what a horrible mistake he had made.  He could have handled the poor treatment from Frank – it was his jealousy that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  The fact that the jealousy was unfounded tore at his very soul.  It would have been bad enough had he just ruined his own life, but he ruined his sister's as well.  He didn't know how he could live with the guilt.  However, he had the unnerving suspicion that wouldn't be a problem very much longer, given Frank's scheduled appearance that day.  

Magenta felt her anger dissipate as she saw Riff Raff's tears.  She sighed.  "I'm sorry, too.  I should have tried to stop you when you talked about 'teaching Frank a lesson.'  I was angry over a confrontation I'd had with him a couple of days before, and at the time it _felt_ like a good idea.  I didn't realize you intended to kill him, but any formal challenge to him at all would have meant severe punishment.  We were both fools."

Riff Raff glanced up, seeing two rather burly prison guards approach their cell.  "And we're about to pay for it."


	27. The Sentencing

Once Andrea and Frank reached the prison, they joined his mother and her most trusted courtiers.  Andrea watched as Frank took a deep breath, steeling himself for an encounter he'd been dreading.  Finally, he nodded to the bodyguards accompanying them.  

"I'm ready."

At his words, two prison guards emerged, escorting Riff Raff and Magenta.  Frank noted, with no small amount of pleasure, that their time in prison had obviously not been kind to them; both were even more pale than usual, and their eyes held an identical haunted look.  They wore shabby prison robes, of a grimy gray color, and they were barefoot.  Neither could bring themselves to look directly at Frank. 

Frank stared at them coolly, his face completely devoid of expression.  Finally he spoke, in a voice as elegant and emotionless as his face.

"What a delightful opportunity this is, meeting you again.  After our last encounter, I feared I'd never again get the chance.  I do hope you've been well."

Riff Raff and Magenta looked at each other.  They knew from experience that Frank's artificially calm demeanor and quiet sarcasm did not bode well for them.  Riff Raff answered quietly, "Yes, Master.  We've been well."

Frank gave him a mirthless smile.  "Excellent.  I was ever so concerned with your welfare.  As I'm sure you were, with mine…once you discovered I was apparently still alive, despite your best efforts."

At his words, both Riff Raff and Magenta hung their heads.  Given Frank's mood, neither knew what they could possibly say to salvage the situation.  Finally, after a painful struggle, Riff Raff swallowed his pride and said, "We're sorry, Master."

If there _was anything they could have said to improve their lot, that wasn't it.  In response, Frank raised an eyebrow.  The false smile vanished.  "You're __sorry?  You're sorry about trying to kill me, or sorry that you failed and were subsequently uncovered as the traitors you are?  Never mind, don't answer…I already know."  His voice remained calm, but his eyes flashed with anger._

The haunted look had evaporated from both Riff Raff and Magenta's eyes, to be replaced by stark terror.  Their worst fear was about to become a reality – it was obvious to them that Frank was not inclined to be merciful.

They were right.  "I sentence you to death by hanging.  The sentence is to be carried out tomorrow at noon."

Without another word, or another glance at Riff Raff and Magenta, he turned and left.


	28. A Matter of Death and Life

Frank's words hit Andrea almost as hard as Riff Raff and Magenta.  She was stunned that the man she so loved was capable of such a cold-hearted, remorseless act.  

Once they were again alone in his apartments in the palace, she tentatively approached him as he sat in a chair, staring blankly out the window, his thoughts seemingly a million light years away.

"Frank, are you really sure about what you're doing?  I can understand why you're so angry, and I know it must have been horribly difficult to face Riff Raff and Magenta again.  But the death sentence you passed on them is something that can't be undone, if you come to regret it later.  Don't you want to give it more thought?"

Frank didn't even look at her.  His voice was like ice.  "I assure you, I've given the matter considerable thought.  I know precisely what I'm doing, and I would greatly appreciate your not trying to second-guess my actions."

She could feel her face redden at the rebuke.  "Fine.  I get the distinct impression you want to be alone.  I'm going out for a while."

This time he didn't even bother to reply.  After staring at him in silence for what felt like the longest minute of her life, she turned and left.

To her relief, she managed to leave the palace without being detected by the bodyguards.  She badly needed to be alone.  She walked the palace grounds for hours, thinking about all that had occurred.  The person she saw in the prison…and back in the palace…was a total stranger to her.  She wondered if being back on Transsexual made it impossible for Frank to be the kind, loving person he had been on Earth.  

She felt tears running down her face.  It felt like a death…as if the Frank she knew and had fallen so desperately in love with was dead, and a cold, vengeful stranger had taken his place.  Was this what their life was going to be like, now that they were home?  Suddenly she became aware of a frigid, empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she struggled to identify it.  Then it hit her like a thunderbolt…it was homesickness.  Homesickness for _Earth.   _She realized it was on Earth that she first experienced true happiness, and she would gladly give up all the wealth and splendor of life with the royal family on Transsexual if she could just recapture the bliss she and Frank had shared in those relatively humble surroundings.  But it was not to be.  

By the time she returned to the palace, Frank was asleep.  She undressed and got into bed, careful not to wake him.  She couldn't face talking with him again tonight.  Thus began a long, wretched night.  She tossed and turned, filled with anguish over what to do.  She couldn't bear the thought of giving Frank up, but neither could she bear the prospect of sharing her life with the person she'd seen that day.  It was not until almost daybreak that she finally fell into a fitful slumber.

When she awakened, the bright moonlight of the Transylvanian morning was shining in her face.  She turned over, and saw that Frank was already out of bed.  She stumbled into the small kitchen in their private quarters, to find a note propped up on the table.  "Will meet you at the prison.  Frank."

Her stomach lurched.  Oh, god.  That's right…she had to attend the execution, as the consort of the Crown Prince.  And she thought _yesterday _had been horrible.  She couldn't begin to imagine what she'd be faced with today…and for all intents and purposes, she'd have to face it alone.  That was easily the worst part of the whole terrible experience.

Noon found her in the prison courtyard, sitting numbly on a viewing stand that had been set up off to the side of a platform where two nooses dangled, silently awaiting the hapless prisoners.  The Queen was sitting next to her, with bodyguards surrounding the two of them.  But there was no sign of Frank.  

The prison guards escorted Riff Raff and Magenta to the platform.  Andrea had thought they looked pale yesterday, but they'd looked positively robust in comparison with their pallor today.  Both were completely white, their ghostly complexions tinged with green.  They climbed up the stairs to the top of the platform, each stumbling a bit with weakness and fear.  The executioner put the nooses around their necks, and looked questioningly at the Queen.

She picked up a small hand-held microphone and answered the unspoken question.  "No, we cannot proceed until the Prince arrives."

Just as Queen Electra finished speaking, Andrea saw someone enter the courtyard, accompanied by two large bodyguards.  It was a young man, dressed in a College of Denton sweatshirt, blue jeans, and sneakers.  Her heart leapt.  It was Frank…_her _Frank.

He climbed onto the platform, facing Riff Raff and Magenta.  Their astonishment at the sight of him was so great that it almost overcame their terror.  

Frank smiled slightly at their stunned faces.  "Yes, I'm well aware it's a different look for me," he remarked dryly.

He turned to the executioner.  "Remove the nooses from their necks."

Once that was accomplished, he turned back to Riff Raff and Magenta.  "I'm sure you'd like some explanation for what's going on."

Riff Raff, ever the spokesman for the two of them, looked nervously at Frank.  "Yes, Master, we would."

"Very well.  Your attempt to murder me had a profound effect on my life, although not in the way you'd anticipated.  Rather than _ending _my life, your actions actually ended up _improving_ it.  They served as the catalyst for a period of introspection that transformed my attitudes about others and myself, and enabled me to open my heart in a way I had not been able to in many years."  He looked at them steadily.  "It is my hope that my subjecting you to this traumatic experience will be a similar catalyst for you.  While your resentment of me was not unjustified, your actions in response to that resentment most certainly were.  Your attitudes require adjustment just as surely as did mine.  I suggest you take advantage of this second chance at life to overcome the bitterness in your hearts, and learn to treat others with genuine respect.  I can guarantee you will both be happier for it."

For a moment, Riff Raff and Magenta stared at him numbly, too shocked to fully comprehend what had just happened.  Then, as the realization set in that they were to be set free, both broke down in tears.

Finally, Magenta was able to speak.  "Thank you, Master."

Frank sighed.  "You need to understand, I did this as much for myself as for you.  Had I allowed my own resentment and desire for revenge to take control, I would have destroyed myself just as surely as the two of you.  My soul would have been poisoned by hatred.  I simply could not allow that to happen."

He turned to leave.  "Just follow my suggestion, and that will be greater evidence of your gratitude than any expressions of thanks could ever be."


	29. Motivations

**Writer's note:  For those of you still with me, your patience will be rewarded…this is the next-to-the-last chapter.  Yes, this sucker actually _does _have an ending!**

Neither Andrea nor the Queen could hear what was being said up on the platform.  Andrea turned to her royal companion.  "Do you know what's going on?"

Queen Electra smiled.  "No, but I suspect Frank is intent on teaching the two of them a lesson they'll never forget, before he sets them free."

Andrea allowed her hopes to rise.  "Do you really think he's allowing them to go free?"

The Queen looked up at the platform.  "It would appear so.  He had the nooses removed.  Were he planning to actually have them executed, he would have quite deliberately kept the nooses around their necks as he spoke to them."

"You aren't upset that he's apparently releasing them?"

Electra shook her head.  "No, of course not.  It would be evidence of a great deal of personal growth on his part.  My decision to allow him to set the sentence was intended as much to test his response as it was to punish Riff Raff and Magenta.  In years past, he probably would have gladly murdered them himself.  An understandable reaction, perhaps, but one ill-suited to an enlightened ruler – which is what he will one day have to be."

"What would you have done if he'd really intended for the execution to go forward?"

The Queen shrugged.  "I would have allowed it.  I can't say I was overly concerned with Riff Raff and Magenta's fate, as they did intend to murder my son.  I was more concerned with what that decision might have done to Frank.  The last thing I wanted was for him to become bloodthirsty and cruel.  I wouldn't want it for him, nor would I want it for our people.  I would have had to spend considerable time with him in an attempt to get him to see the error of his ways."  

Andrea stared at Frank.  His posture held none of the rigidly controlled rage she'd seen yesterday.  His expression was serious, but lightened somewhat by a slight smile, as if he were explaining an important scientific concept to a somewhat uncomprehending student.  He looked…well, he looked like himself again.  She could barely contain the joy and love surging through her body, warming her like a cozy fleece blanket.  She felt tears welling up in her eyes.  Her true love was back.

She watched as Frank descended from the platform, leaving Riff Raff and Magenta in a tearful embrace behind him.  He walked up to his mother and his lover, smiling.  His eyes danced, and he looked to be at peace.  "All done.  Are you ready to go?"

Andrea, unable to control her emotions any longer, flew into his arms and burst into happy tears.  He held her close, stroking her hair and speaking softly into her ear.

"It's all right, my love.  Everything is fine.  It's all over now…" 


	30. Ever After

**Writer's note:  Thanks so much to everyone who had enough patience and interest to read this entire story.  It was fun to write, and I hope it was fun to read.**

By the time they got back to the palace, Andrea had regained her composure.  However, the dizzying emotional highs and lows of the past few days, combined with a largely sleepless night, left her exhausted.  She collapsed, fully dressed, onto the bed.

"It's only the middle of the day, but I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open."

Frank leaned down and kissed her gently.  "That's okay.  Take a good long nap.  I have a few things to discuss with my mother anyway."

She gratefully nestled under the satin sheets, and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.  When she finally woke up, it was early evening.  She sat up, stretched, and made her way to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.  Refreshed, she went into the living room area in search of Frank.

She found him stretched out on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.  He looked up and smiled when she walked in.  "Feeling better?"

She perched alongside him on the edge of the sofa and ran her fingers affectionately through his mane of dark curls.  "Much better.  What about you?  How are _you _feeling?"  She paused, uncertain if she should say what she was thinking.  "I didn't quite know what to make of you yesterday.  I'd never seen you that way, and it was incredibly frightening.  I thought you'd turned some terrible corner, and you'd never again be the man I love so much."  Her voice quavered.  "I thought I'd lost you forever."

Frank winced.  He struggled to a sitting position, and took her in his arms.  "I'm so sorry.  I knew the process of deciding what to do about Riff Raff and Magenta would be painful for me.  I never intended to make you suffer as well.  I should have sent you to visit your family, or some friends, while I was working everything out."

She drew back and looked at him.  "You know I never would have left you alone at such a terrible time.  I just don't understand why you shut me out the way you did.  Why didn't you tell me yesterday what you were really planning to do?  Why did you let me think you'd become some revenge-obsessed stranger?"

He grimaced.  "You want the truth?  I didn't tell you what I was up to because I wanted to reserve the option of actually going through with the execution.  How's _that _for a lovely confession?"

She stared at him, aghast.  "You seriously considered allowing the execution to go forward?"

He shook his head.  "Well, no, not exactly.  But I wanted to be _able _to consider it.  It was important."  He sat silent, struggling for words.  "I don't know if I can explain what I was going through.  Although I'd already made my plans by the time I got to the prison yesterday, actually seeing the two of them was much more difficult than I'd anticipated.  I _knew _I was angry, but I didn't realize just how angry I was until I was face to face with them again.  I have to admit that a part of me badly wanted revenge.  I _wanted _to see them suffer and die.  I wanted to see them go through what they'd wanted _me _to go through.  And I was given the absolute power to make it happen…all I had to do was say the word.  That combination of circumstances led me to a cold, hard place.  I spent my waking hours battling the kind of dark impulses I thought I'd left behind forever. The test was to see if I could overcome those feelings, and give Riff Raff and Magenta the same chance for a new life they'd inadvertently given me.  And for the test to be truly meaningful, I had to allow myself the option to give in to the darkness.  Otherwise I'd always wonder if it were some external force, rather than my own inner resources, that gave me the strength to spare them.  Do you understand?"

Tears stung her eyes.  She put her arms around him, snuggling as close to his body as she could.  "Yes, I understand.  I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you.  What you did was incredibly difficult.  I hope you're taking some satisfaction from the way things worked out." 

He smiled.  "Yes, I actually am.  As much as I thought I wanted to see them die, I know I felt much happier walking away after giving them the opportunity to live.  On some level, I knew this decision had more far-reaching consequences than just determining the fate of two people, which was why it frightened me so much.  I shudder to think of what would have become of me, emotionally, if I'd allowed the execution.  I suspect the outcome would have been much like you'd feared.  I would have been changed forever, and this time not for the better." 

"I'll be forever grateful it didn't come to that.  I can't think of one single thing I'd want to change about you."

After a couple of minutes of luxuriating in his embrace, she sat back and sighed.  "Nobody can say our return to Transsexual hasn't been _eventful_.  All the drama surrounding Riff Raff and Magenta aside, it's been wonderful to get back.  But…this may sound terrible, but I really miss Earth."

Frank nodded.  "So do I.  I came to very much enjoy Earth.  I'm not happy about the idea of giving up teaching, either.  I still can't believe how much I came to love teaching.  It became a true calling."  He sighed.  "Not to mention being able to live like a normal person, instead of being under public scrutiny all the time."

"It's too bad we can't have it both ways, and split our time between Earth and here."

Frank grinned mischievously.  "Who says we can't have it both ways?"

Andrea looked at him suspiciously.  "What _are _you talking about?"

"As it happens, that was one of the subjects I was discussing with my mother this afternoon.  I wanted to know if she'd object to our spending Fall and Spring semesters on Earth, and coming back here for the summer breaks."

Andrea was astonished.  "And she _agreed?_"

Frank nodded.  "Yes.  At first she was less than enthused, but I assured her it would only be for a limited amount of time.  Since our life spans are about four times that of Earthlings, we age much more slowly.  Sooner or later, our credentials will inevitably come to look considerably older than we do.  At that point, we'll just come back here full time.  But I, for one, would love to continue teaching as long as I'm able, and I had the distinct impression you felt the same way."

"But we turned in our resignations.  Do you think they'll take us back?"

Frank looked a bit embarrassed.  "Well, actually, I never turned in the resignation letters.  I left them with my friend Richard – you know, the physicist?  I told him we had to go to England to deal with a crisis in my family, and I wasn't sure how things would play out.  If it turned out we couldn't get back, I'd let him know and he could turn in the letters for us.  Since the audio transducer would allow me to reach him, that part of the story was truthful enough."

Andrea rolled her eyes.  "Sometimes you amaze me.  What about a place to live?  We gave up our apartment, and either sold or gave away virtually everything we owned."

Frank shrugged.  "So we'll rent a furnished apartment until we find the right place.  The only thing special about our apartment was the fact that you were in it.  I'm sure we can do better.  We still have the money from our bank accounts, so we can replace our cars immediately.  By the time we get the new apartment, we should have accumulated enough additional money to make a good start on new furnishings."

A slow smile started spreading across Andrea's face.  "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

He grinned.  "Well, I certainly tried.  So, what do you think?  Does it sound good to you?"

She threw her arms around him delightedly and kissed him.  "It sounds absolutely perfect."

He laughed.  "Splendid.  However, before we leave, there _is _one rather important matter to discuss."

She raised her eyebrows.  "And that would be?"

He took both of her hands in his.  "Your presence in my life has enhanced and enriched it more than I can ever possibly express.  Your love gives new meaning to my pleasure, and gives me the strength to deal with my pain.  I want to declare to you, and to both of the worlds we inhabit, how very important you are to me."  He released her hands and reached behind the pillow at his back, pulling out a long, thin box and giving it to her.  

With trembling fingers, Andrea opened the box to find a sparkling bracelet of finest gold.  In the middle of the bracelet was a charm with two intertwined circles.  In the middle of the union of the circles was a beautiful, glowing red gem, referred to on Transsexual as the Eye of Love.  It was an exquisite version of the traditional Transylvanian engagement bracelet.

She looked up at him, speechless with joy.  He smiled, and again took her hands.  "My love, will you be my wife?"

She was speechless no longer.  "Oh, yes!"  She again embraced him, and they exchanged a long, passionate kiss.

When they finally drew apart, Frank smiled at her.  "Well, that takes care of Transsexual.  However, there _is_ still Earth to consider."  This time he reached into his pocket, and withdrew a stunning diamond solitaire ring.  "Give me your hand."  She gave him her left hand, and he placed the ring gently on her finger.  

She stared at the ring glittering on her hand, overcome with emotion.  Obviously he'd planned this before they'd even left Earth.  She was right…he really _had _thought of everything.

She finally tore her eyes away from the ring, and looked back at him.  "I can't begin to tell you how incredibly happy you've made me…not only right now, but from the very moment we met.  Thank you so much for letting me into your life, and for giving me these beautiful assurances that you want me to stay there.  Believe me, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.  You mean the world…or should I say _worlds?_…to me."  She reached out and lovingly caressed his face.  "Who says fairy tales can't come true?  I've found my very own handsome prince."

He laughed.  "Now we get to have the _real _fun…working on that 'happily ever after' part."

It wouldn't be "work" at all.                     


End file.
